Gakuen Alice: The Remake
by Uncoloured186
Summary: #16: Canon Universe. She came to Tokyo because she wanted to settle things with Hotaru, not enrol into the school.
1. Chapter 1—Introduction: Black Cat

**Original Posting Date:** 15 May 2009

-:-

**Chapter 1**

-:-

"Hotaru!" The pig-tailed girl exclaimed while running towards the raven-haired girl that stood not far from a black limo.

Hotaru slowly turned around to look at the girl. "Mikan."

They stared at each other for a good minute.

It was Hotaru who broke the staring contest. "Time is short. If you have something to tell me, tell me now."

"Why did you send such an important letter through tortoise mail?" Mikan asked as tears started forming in her eyes.

"If I told you earlier, you would have looked at me every day with eyes full of tears," she replied nonchalantly, and Mikan let her tears roll down her face.

Hotaru patted her head. "You don't have to cry like this. I'll be back for summer and winter vacation. Besides, we will write letters."

Convinced, Mikan wiped her tears. She smiled. "Okay."

-:-

_It's been six months… I wrote a letter every day, and this is what I get? _She stared at the postcard with dull eyes.

_It's very hot this summer and it makes me feel tired, so I'm not going back._ _There's air conditioning here. It's very nice. Please send me watermelons.  
__—Hotaru__  
_

Mikan sighed and started walking to her school.

Before she reached her classroom, she heard her classmates talking about her and Hotaru.

"Ever since Hotaru quit this school, Mikan has really been down, but Hotaru is also a bit cold. Maybe she made a lot of new friends and forgot about us here. No matter how you look at it, Tokyo is more interesting than this small village."

_Maybe that's right…_ Mikan sighed dejectedly, but she shook her head; she didn't believe Hotaru would think like that.

"But my dad said, 'I'm glad my child isn't an _Alice_ like Hotaru'… My dad said that Alice Academy, where Hotaru went, is like a jail, and once you get in, even your parents have difficulties seeing you."

Mikan straightened and stayed still to hear more.

"What is that?"

"_Alice_ people are considered as national treasures, so the government founded that school to protect them from accidents and getting kidnapped. They aren't even allowed to talk on the phone unless it's really important. That's why Hotaru's parents moved around a lot in order to avoid the government detectives."

"But if they had escaped for so long, why did they agree to go to the school now?"

"It seems that they get money from the government by enrolling Hotaru at Alice Academy. After Hotaru heard about this, she immediately said she would go."

_What is that supposed to mean?_ Mikan asked herself. She didn't know if she should believe what they said or not.

* * *

When the students finally left after the homeroom, a tear rolled down her face. _Is what they said true?_

"Mrs. Imai, thanks to your daughter, our school has financially recovered."

_Imai? _Mikan sat up from her seat instantly and blinked her tears away.

"The school was about to be closed down, so we are really grateful."

Mikan took a peek from the classroom door. _It's the principal and Hotaru's mother!_

"This is my daughter's wish. My daughter was very fond of this town. Transferring so many times has left her without friends, but she finally found a true friend at this school. She wanted to save this school… even though it meant she had to go. From the moment we realised that she was an 'Alice', my husband and I knew that this day would be inevitable…" Hotaru's mother said gently.

"Mrs. Imai…" The principal murmured.

Hotaru's mother smiled. "I'm happy that my daughter could act so selflessly. That child doesn't show feelings. This is the only way she knows how… to show her loved ones that she cares…"

Mikan slid the door open. Both Hotaru's mother and the principal looked at her in surprise.

"What you said just now, is it true?" Mikan asked at once. "Hotaru… went to Alice for the sake of our school?" Tears started forming in her eyes. "Why didn't she say anything?"

"It's not anyone's fault, Mikan. It was just a matter of time. Hotaru couldn't avoid not going to that school forever. Hotaru really likes Mikan and everybody here. She must have chosen… to leave in a way that makes you least sad," Hotaru's mother said softly.

Mikan closed her eyes as she tried not to let her tears fall.

-:-

"My granddaughter has run away from home!" A high pitch voice exclaimed. Mikan's grandpa cried, "That brat, she even took my private savings."

_Grandpa,  
__I'm sorry. I don't want to end things with Hotaru like this; I've decided. I must see Hotaru once more. I will come back as soon as I can.  
__—Mikan__  
_

Mikan stood at the entrance of Alice Academy as she looked at the school gate. How could she get in? That was what she thought at the moment. Then, two shady guys approached her.

"Hey miss, what are you doing here by yourself?" one of the guys asked.

"W-what?" Mikan said fearfully. She still remembered what her friends told her about getting kidnapped. Though she wasn't an Alice, she was sure that being kidnapped wasn't a good thing.

"Please come with us if you want to go to this school," the second guy offered.

Refusing them, she shook her head, but the first guy insisted, "Come on, please come with us."

She started to panic. When she was about to scream for help, a voice greeted them, "Just a minute."

They turned to look at (the) source and found out that it was a blond man.

"Where are you going to take this little kitty-cat?" he asked with a smile.

Mikan went dumbfounded. _Little kitty-cat? Me? Little kitty-cat?_

"It's nothing, really. She's our friend who wanted to see this school," the second guy replied quickly.

Mikan was about to object, but the first guy covered her month to shut her up.

"Let… us… say… good… bye…" The blond man said to the guys suddenly.

A few seconds later, the guys replied to him in unison, "Yes…"

After they left, the blond man turned to look at Mikan. "Are you alright?"

Mikan nodded while looking at the man suspiciously. "Who are you?"

"I'm a teacher of Alice Academy," he replied and said with a smile, "You should also go home now."

Mikan blinked, unaffected by his smile.

The blond man sweat dropped. _She seems totally unaffected…_

Then, he looked at Mikan thoughtfully. _This girl…_

After a few moments Mikan started, "I came here to find my friend."

"Do you want to enrol into this school?" The man asked instead, and Mikan narrowed her eyes for being ignored.

"No, I just want to find my friend," she replied flatly.

The man thought for a minute before answering, "But I can't let you because only an Alice can go to this school. If you want to find your friend, you will have to enrol into this school."

She remained silent as she pondered what to do. She came to Tokyo because she wanted to settle things with Hotaru, not enrol into the school.

After a few minutes she finally asked, "I'm not a genius. How could I enrol into this school?"

"The true meaning of Alice is not being a genius. It actually means natural born powers," the man replied.

She looked at him thoughtfully before responding, "Still, I'm not an Alice. I don't have any natural born powers."

The man began, "We will find out about that with a few tests, and I'm sure you will make it. Just call me Narumi-sensei, I—"

_KABOOM!_

Mikan fell to the ground instantly. She coughed a few times as she tried to clear the smoke around her. Then a hand was offered to her. "Mikan-chan, are you alright?"

She accepted the hand, and both of them saw a boy who looked around the same age as her, standing up on the wall. She stared at the boy blankly. _A black cat?_

"He's the academy's youngest but most talented student of all… Natsume Hyuuga…" Narumi-sensei said.

Mikan stared at the boy. _Natsume Hyuuga…_

"Natsume!" Narumi-sensei exclaimed when he saw him tried to run away. He threw his whip at him while saying, "Don't run away."

Mikan was shocked as Natsume was knocked to the ground along with his mask. Her eyes widened when she finally saw his face. She quickly approached him. "Hey, are you okay!"

When Natsume was about to use his Alice, Narumi-sensei stepped on his hand. "Before you use your power, I will use mine, and you will end up being embarrassed like before."

"Crazy teacher…!" Natsume gritted his teeth.

Narumi-sensei grabbed the collar of his shirt and whispered into his ear, "This is the rewarding punishment for you."

Natsume flushed and passed out within seconds.

Mikan stunned. _What was happening?_

The unconscious Natsume was put onto Narumi's shoulder as he spoke, "It's time. We should go."

Mikan blinked in confusion. Then, the gate of the academy slowly opened. She looked at the school in awe.

Still smiling, Narumi-sensei said, "Welcome to Alice Academy, Mikan Sakura."

-:-

**A/N:** You will not notice the changes until a few chapters, so please be patient with me.  
Please kindly review. :)


	2. Chapter 2—Treatment: Band Aid

**Original Posting Date:** 17 May 2009

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**Chapter 2**

-:-

Mikan blinked a few times while trying to look at the shiny room she was in. The room she was guided to was really grand, and there was no doubt that the furniture was expensive.

"You can sit wherever you like. I have to go report to my superiors regarding your enrolment. Please wait here with him for a while," Narumi-sensei said before leaving her.

Mikan sat in silence. _What should I do now? Why do I have to enrol to this school when I'm not an Alice?_

She dragged her eyes to Natsume's face. _Even though it was only a small graze… he's still hurt…_

_Natsume… huh?_ Mikan bit her lower lip and looked around to find a first aid kit but saw nothing. And then…

_BAM!_

Startled, Mikan jumped. Suddenly, a voice exclaimed, "Narumi! Are you the one who stole the growing whip seed from the green house!"

Mikan turned around after calming her heart beat. She was sure that she would get a heart attack if she stayed any longer in the academy. She found it was a raven-haired man. They stared at each other, and she tilted her head questioningly. The man looked at her strangely, and then silence ensued.

Misaki-sensei gazed at Mikan apologetically. "I'm sorry for surprising you. Just call me Misaki-sensei."

Mikan nodded. "It's okay, Misaki-sensei. My name is Mikan."

"Are you the prospective student that Narumi brought?" he asked.

She pondered for a while before answering, "I don't think I'm a prospective student."

Misaki-sensei stared at her in disbelief. "What makes you think so?"

She looked at Natsume's sleeping face. "I don't know, maybe because I don't trust Narumi-sensei."

"Don't worry, he may be a pervert but he's not a bad guy." Misaki-sensei studied her secretly.

She stayed silent, and then the silence between them returned.

"Misaki-sensei, what about him?" she asked while looking at Natsume.

Misaki-sensei looked at Natsume. "This boy is a repeat offender for escaping and trouble-making."

_So… he was trying to escape from this academy… _She gazed at Natsume closely.

Misaki-sensei cleared his throat. "By the way, do you know what your Alice is?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. Narumi-sensei said I will have to do some tests before I could enrol into this school, though."

Misaki-sensei nodded thoughtfully. "I see…"

"I forgot to ask. What is Narumi-sensei's Alice?"

"His Alice is Pheromonal Inclination."

"Pheromonal Inclination?"

"He has an ability to allure people with his pheromone regardless of gender…"

Mikan took the black cat mask that was placed on the table and asked, "What is this?"

Misaki-sensei looked at the mask. "That's an _Alice prevention _mask. It will completely seal the Alice of whoever is wearing it. This mask is reserved for punishment of dangerous people."

_Natsume was categorised __as a__ dangerous __person__?_ She asked herself while staring at the mask.

Suddenly, a voice came from Misaki-sensei's phone, "Intruder in the green house!"

"I'm sorry, there's an emergency so I must leave you," Misaki-sensei said at once.

Before she could nod, he continued, "I'm going to send someone over here soon."

"If Natsume wakes up before anyone comes, press that emergency switch immediately," Misaki-sensei pointed at the emergency switch.

She nodded and with that, Misaki-sensei left. She looked at Natsume again and bit her lower lip. Then she searched through her bag to find something she could use for the small graze on his face. She finally found a band aid. She smiled when she saw a pack of tissue and a bottle of mineral water on the table. Since she couldn't find the first aid box, this was the only thing she could think of. Using the tissue and the mineral water, she gently cleaned his graze. She was afraid she might wake him up. It would be bad if he woke up suddenly.

Unknown to her, he was fully awake by now.

Satisfied with the cleaning, she gently put the band aid on his graze. She nodded to herself with a smile as she was proud of her work. When she turned her back on him, she suddenly felt herself being lifted up from the couch, and before she knew it, he was already on top of her. Too shocked, she didn't even bother to scream or anything. They stared at each other. She opened her mouth to say something, but her voice betrayed her, so she closed her mouth. She would not make a fool of herself. Suddenly, he held one of her pigtails and traced it.

"Who are you?" Natsume asked, still locking eyes with her.

Mikan was mesmerised by his deep crimson eyes. "M-Mikan… Mikan Sakura."

Before he could ask anymore question, one of the windows was broken into pieces. She couldn't see anything as her view was blocked by him, for he still stayed on top of her but, of course, not crushing her with his weight.

"You are late, Ruka," Natsume said, and Mikan immediately noticed that his voice was different from before.

"Geez, whose fault do you think that is?" a voice replied him. Suddenly, the door was banged open. Before the door stood Narumi-sensei and Misaki-sensei.

"Mikan-chan!" Narumi-sensei exclaimed and was followed by Misaki-sensei. "Natsume! Ruka!"

Before leaving her, Natsume whispered, "See ya, Mikan…"

After realising what happened, Mikan blushed, and her heart beat faster. She felt her head start to spin.

Narumi-sensei rushed to her. "Are you alright, Mikan-chan?"

Mikan nodded weakly, but Narumi-sensei was not convinced. "Are you sure? Your face is so red."

Mikan blushed redder and looked away. "Really, I'm alright, Narumi-sensei."

Narumi-sensei and Misaki-sensei looked at her curiously but decided to let it go since she was alright.

"This is your new uniform, Mikan," Narumi-sensei said after a few minutes while showing her a uniform.

"Why don't you hurry up and get dressed?" He suggested and Mikan nodded in reply.

After Mikan had changed into her uniform, Narumi-sensei grinned. "Ohh! You look so cute."

Misaki-sensei added, "It looks good."

Mikan smiled. "Arigatou."

Narumi-sensei began, "Your entrance to the Alice Academy has been approved. Like I told you before, in order for you to officially enrol, you need to pass a test during the one-week trial."

She tilted her head in confusion, and Narumi-sensei continued, "It's easy. All you need to do is be accepted as a friend by your classmates in class B. We will track your progress and decide your Alice level."

She hummed, "Okay, I'll try my best."

Then a voice greeted them, "Excuse us. We're the two class representatives of elementary division, class B."

Narumi-sensei turned to look at the two elementary students who were approaching them before looking back at Mikan. "Mikan, they are your class representatives."

Mikan turned around, and then silence filled the room.

After staring at the raven-haired girl before her for a good minute, she whispered, "Hotaru…"

"Ah, I see. So, Mikan-chan's best friend is Hotaru Imai," Narumi-sensei smiled, but Misaki-sensei asked, "Are they really best friends?"

The room was suddenly filled with tension.

Finally, Mikan gave a weak smile. "I wanted to see you again, so I travelled all the way here, Hotaru."

Even though she was shocked, Hotaru nonchalantly spoke, "I guess there aren't many fools who come to this place just because they want to see a friend. You surprised me…come here, _dummy_," Hotaru gave her a small smile.

Mikan ran towards her and hugged her immediately.

A short while later, they made it to the classroom. When they reached there, Narumi-sensei smiled at Mikan. "We've arrived at the classroom. Remember to make some friends, Mikan."

Mikan nodded with a smile, and the door of the classroom was opened by Narumi-sensei. "Welcome to elementary division class B."

She blinked. Some of the students were eating. Some of the students were singing. Some of them were… floating? Everything was unorganised. She stared at the class in shock and disbelief. From that moment, she decided that she didn't want to pass the test.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	3. Chapter 3—The Name: Hyuuga

**Original Posting Date:** 18 May 2009

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**Chapter 3**

-:-

"Welcome to elementary division class B, Mikan-san," the spectacled boy who was with Hotaru said.

Mikan gazed at him as he introduced himself. "I'm Yuu Tobita, the class representative."

"You may be… confused in a class like this, but if you have anything you don't understand, please ask me," Yuu smiled and then blushed as he was being intently stared at by Mikan.

Suddenly, a voice interjected, "Yo, Iinchou. Who is she?"

Mikan stared up at the boy who was floating in the air.

Before Yuu could reply, another spectacled boy replied, "I heard them talking at the gates. She's the new kid that Naru brought in."

Mikan blinked again then Hotaru explained, "The power to float and extraordinary hearing are not all that surprising here at Alice Academy."

"…"

"Mikan."

"…"

"I said, _Mikan_!" Hotaru smacked Mikan's head with her Horse Hoof Glove.

While rubbing her wounded head, Mikan replied, "What!"

Hotaru stared at her blankly. "I don't know what kind of Alice you have, but I'll tell you one thing, we are complete strangers here. OK? I'm aiming for _best student award_ this year. I don't want to get involved with you and your troubles. Understand?"

"…"

Hotaru turned her heels. "This school isn't like normal schools, and you'll have a lot to deal with, but good luck anyway."

* * *

The teacher nervously began, "This is our new friend Mikan Sakura. Everyone, please be nice to her."

Mikan, who was standing next to the teacher, smiled. "Hi, I'm Mikan Sakura. Nice to—"

_WHACK!_

Mikan's eyes bulged. The teacher was hit by items.

"Don't call her our _friend_, moron!"

"Who's gonna listen to you, idiot teacher?"

Mikan looked at Hotaru for help, but she looked away, pretending to be a stranger. She sighed inwardly. Then the teacher asked her to take a seat at the back of the classroom.

While walking to the empty seat, a raven-haired girl greeted her, "Hello."

"Hello." Mikan smiled. She was somewhat happy that someone actually tried to talk to her.

Sitting down on her seat, Mikan turned to look at her side. It was a dark-haired boy who had his face covered by a… manga? Somehow, she felt familiar with the boy. She didn't know why, so she shook her head mentally, thinking that it was just her imagination.

With a small smile, she greeted, "Hi, nice to meet you."

After a few moments, the manga was dragged down his face so that crimson met hazel. Promptly she shrieked, "Natsume!"

By now the class had gone silent and turned their attention towards her.

Natsume looked at her blankly. "Who are you?"

_Eh?_ She blinked. She began, "You know, it's me who…"

She didn't bother to continue as she realised the band aid she put on Natsume's had gone. Her blood boiled as she exclaimed, "You! Ungrateful brat! I couldn't—"

When she felt herself being lifted from the ground, she stopped, and a boy named Mochu said, "Hey, new girl. Watch what you say to Natsume-sama."

Hotaru sighed. _Mikan, you idiot… you've chosen the most dangerous one to mess with…_

Natsume stared at Mikan emotionlessly.

Yuu cried, "Stop it!"

The teacher fainted.

Next, a green haired girl named Sumire Shouda spoke, "Oh, there's no need to stop. I thought she was one of us, so I'd been listening quietly, but she's been bad mouthing Natsume."

"This is almost too kind. Right, Natsume?" Shouda smiled at Natsume, who gave her a blank stare.

He looked away from Sumire and then spoke, "Let her down."

Mikan was put down and Yuu rushed towards her. "Mikan, are you okay?"

While looking at her, Natsume asked, "What kind of Alice do you have?"

Looking away from him, she mentally replied, _How should I know? Narumi-sensei didn't tell me anything. I'm not even sure if I'm an Alice…_

She stopped thinking as she realised someone had said her thought out loud.

With wide eyes, she turned to the boy. _He's reading my mind!_

Of course, the boy repeated the same words.

"Unbelievable! She doesn't even know what her Alice is! Then why is she even here?" Sumire said as the class started whispering to each other.

"Maybe she tricked the teacher into believing she was an Alice!" Shouda continued.

A vein popped on Mikan's forehead. "Hey! I'm—"

"Then prove it," Sumire said at once.

Mikan twitched. "You're so hung up on being an _Alice_." She was pissed. "Is being an Alice that—"

"Yes, it's great," Sumire interrupted her again and continued explaining why being an Alice was great. Of course, Mikan ignored her. Not that she cared about being an Alice.

"If you can't show us the proof, then you've practically admitted that you're not an Alice. Hurry up and get out of this academy," Sumire finished her speech as Natsume looked at Mikan silently.

Mikan looked at Hotaru but she was still pretending to be a stranger towards her. Hotaru didn't care about her. Of course, she won't care. She came here because of her not the other way round. Suddenly, she felt like crying.

"Hey, are you listening?" Shouda asked as she was getting annoyed at Mikan.

"Can you just shut your mouth!" Mikan finally snapped.

Shouda was stunned for a moment before someone started rudely pulling on one of her pigtails, which made her wince in pain. Then, out of nowhere, she felt herself being pulled away from the guy that was about to hit her. Mikan stared at Hotaru in disbelief as she had knocked the boy away with her Horse Hoof Glove.

Shouda was shocked. "Imai!"

Emotionlessly, Hotaru said, "Excuse me, but I'm the only one that's allowed… to make her cry. So don't lay your hands on her."

Before Shouda could retort back, Hotaru spoke again, "There goes my _best student award_. All of my hard work has gone to waste… The privileges of _a month's worth of food at Central Town_ and a one-week… visit to your home town." Mikan went silent, and she continued, "You have to tell my parents that now I can't go home. Well, I've never imagined that you would come here yourself. You've saved me the trouble of visiting you, so I'll forgive you this time."

The class had calmed down as they listened to the short tale of Mikan's appearance. After a long silence, Natsume spoke, "New girl."

Mikan turned to look at Natsume then he said, "I heard that you can't enrol if you don't get along with the people in this class within a week."

Inwardly, Mikan sighed. It was really no use to lie since he had that mindreading boy. She stayed silent and decided to listen to whatever he was going to say.

"Well, I guess, you won't be enrolling at this rate but, I could give you a chance. That is, if you really are an Alice," Natsume spoke calmly.

Sumire looked at him in disbelief. "Natsume!"

Natsume ignored Sumire as he continued, "You see those Northern Woods over there? If you get through those woods to the high school division and leave a foot print there, then I'll accept you as an Alice and let you stay here."

Mikan looked at the woods through the window. She could tell that the chances for her to get out from those _thick_ woods were quite slim but not impossible, but then again, she had something different in her mind, and she hadn't changed her mind for that since she stepped into this academy.

"That's impossible!" Yuu exclaimed. Horror mirrored his face as he continued, "Those woods are off limits to even Alice students!"

"I didn't say she had to. If she doesn't want to, then she can just leave," Natsume replied emotionlessly.

Ruka looked at Natsume curiously. He knew that his best friend was not being honest. Ruka gazed at Mikan and wondered if it had something to do with her.

Yuu tried to reason out, "But—"

"It's OK, Yuu," Mikan interrupted him, and the class looked at her.

Yuu blushed as this was the first time someone called him by his first name. Most of the students were used to calling him _Iinchou_, but then he shook his head as it wasn't the time to be happy.

Before Yuu could say anything, Mikan spoke again, "Thank you, Hyuuga-san."

Natsume felt his heart drop. Somehow, it hurt to hear her calling him by his family name. Even though it was the correct way to greet a person if you're not close to them, it still hurt him. He knew that he had endangered her by making her go to the Northern Woods, but that was the only thing he could think of to make the class accept her without question. He just wanted her to stay here without being noticed by the class. Before he could make out another reason, he heard her speak again, and it shocked him the most.

"I have no intention to stay any longer in this academy." Her face was calm as she was serious about what she said.

Not only Natsume, but the class, too, was shocked by her words. She smiled at Hotaru, and everyone could feel the warmth in her smile.

"One week is more than enough," she said. When Hotaru was about to say something, she beat her, "Hotaru, I'm sorry that I didn't trust you enough. I know that you've agreed to come here so that you can save our school." Hotaru went silent as she explained, "I've travelled all the way here to settle this. I don't want to end things with you like that. I don't know why Narumi-sensei thinks I'm an Alice, and I don't want to know why. Furthermore, aside from you, I don't think someone would actually accept—"

Before she could continue, she was smacked by Hotaru's Horse Hoof Glove.

She cried, "What are you doing, Hotaru?"

Hotaru stared at her. "You're not the Mikan I know. The Mikan I know never gives up."

While rubbing her bruised head, she grinned. "Hotaru… does this—"

Again, she was smacked before she could continue.

Natsume wouldn't admit that he was happy by the event.

"So, are you going to do it?" he asked to assure himself that she agreed.

Without looking at him, she replied while beaming at Hotaru, "I guess so."

"Since you're new here, I'll let you have a friend who can guide you," Natsume said calmly. Well, he was trying his best to stay calm when he was actually not. He was upset. He was upset because of her. He had realised that she was avoiding his eyes. She wouldn't look at him in the eye.

"Then, we have a deal. Let the game begin," Natsume said, starting the deal.

After that, Yuu, Hotaru, and Mikan walked out from the classroom.

"Natsume…" Ruka called, and Natsume glanced at him.

He looked at his crimson eyes as he asked, "Do you know something about the new girl?"

After a moment of silence, Natsume finally replied, "No…"

* * *

Mikan looked towards the forest before her. "So this is the Northern Woods…"

From the classroom she already knew that the forest was big, but up close it was even bigger.

"Mikan, let's be careful! They say that there are a lot of strange things in this forest," Yuu said nervously while following Mikan.

Hotaru, who walked behind them, remained silent.

"A lot of strange things?" Mikan asked, still walking to the woods.

Yuu nervously began, "Err, for example…"

_PLUNK!_

Startled, they all looked at the source of the sound. Before them was a small cottage and…

Mikan blinked a few times before saying, "A teddy bear?"

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	4. Chapter 4—The Rumor: Murderer

**Original Posting Date:** 20 May 2009

-:-

**Chapter 4**

-:-

Looking at the crystal ball of Serina-sensei, who had the Clairvoyant Alice, Narumi-sensei smiled and sipped his tea calmly. "I believe the real entrance exam has started. Natsume is a smart boy. I knew he'd sense something about her and test her himself."

Serina-sensei worriedly began, "Hey, Naru… Isn't this a little too dangerous? Why should we use the Northern Woods to test some potential Alice student? What if something happens?"

Narumi-sensei waved his hand. "Don't worry! If something happens, we're always ready to help them. Besides, she's not _just_ some student."

With a half-smile, he quietly added, "She may be the _key_ to the future for everyone. And especially for Natsume…"

* * *

Mikan looked at the bear in disbelief. "T-the teddy bear is moving…"

Innocently, she grabbed the teddy bear. "What's this? Where's the remote?"

Yuu had turned pale as he stuttered out, "Mi-Mikan… you… you should…"

By now Hotaru had backed away. Before running away, Yuu told her, "Get away from the bear!"

Confused, Mikan looked at Yuu. She was completely oblivious. She gazed at them. "What are you two doing?"

She was answered by the bear's strong fist that sent her flying.

Yuu's face turned horrified as he watched her being hit by the bear. He wanted to help her, but he, too, was afraid. He couldn't risk himself being knocked out by the bear.

Thus, let the match continue! Obviously, Mikan had lost even before the match had begun. She was sent flying multiple times from the punches and kicks that might have broken a rib or two.

"Hotaru, we have to go help Mikan…!" Yuu was practically crying. His body was trembling while holding a stick for defence. Honestly, what could a stick do in defence?

Hotaru huffed while hiding herself in her _Caterpillar No.1_. After a few moments, her _car_ came while she was preparing a bucket of water. When it was filled, she slowly made her way towards the bear that was obviously busy hitting Mikan and didn't notice her.

_FWOOSH!_

The water had successfully drenched the bear as the bear stopped moving.

Hotaru kicked the bear away. "Iinchou, take Mikan to my car."

Yuu rushed towards Mikan. "Mikan! Don't die!"

Using Hotaru's car to continue their journey, Yuu started explaining, "That bear is called Bear-san. Contrary to his appearance, he's called the _forest guardian_, and he's extremely strong. That bear was made a long time ago by a student here who had the Alice to create spirits in dolls and stuffed animals. The first teddy bear that the person made is rumoured to be that bear…"

"Iinchou… There is no use explaining since she's passed out," Hotaru said nonchalantly.

Suddenly, Mikan woke up. Her head was spinning after the match. Still a bit dizzy, she spoke, "Thank you, Hotaru. Though, I was hoping you could have done that early."

"There's no way I could have done that without distracting it first," Hotaru replied.

"So I was used as a distraction?" She said, dumbfounded. She cried, "You're so cruel, Hotaru…"

"Be quiet, Mikan. Don't make a racket in my car," Hotaru said, and then Mikan went silent.

After a moment Mikan asked, "Come to think of it, Hotaru. What's your Alice?"

"Mikan, you don't know? Hotaru's a genius inventor," Yuu piped up. He started explaining how Hotaru's Alice worked and what it meant for the society.

Mikan stared at Hotaru in admiration. She was sure that Yuu was telling the truth since she knew how Hotaru always invented something when she was staying at her home town.

"What about you, Yuu?" Mikan asked as she drew herself closer to Yuu.

Yuu blushed at the close distance. "Never mind me."

"His Alice is the ability to make illusions," Hotaru told her.

Mikan gazed at Yuu in awe. "Wow."

Yuu blushed redder. "It's… not that great…"

Suddenly, Mikan remembered about Natsume. Thinking of him made her heart clench. She didn't know why she felt so mad at him. Was it because he pretended like he didn't know her? Truth to be told, it was hurting her inside to know that he didn't admit that he knew her. But then she asked herself why she should care about that. She shouldn't care about him because he absolutely didn't care about her.

Mikan shook her head mentally and sighed. Ever since she came to this academy, her mind was filling with Natsume and Natsume. She started getting this weird feeling each time she saw him. Maybe she should just let herself fail this challenge. She shook her head again, there's no way for it. Hotaru and Yuu came with her so she could pass this challenge. She sighed dejectedly. She was clueless on what the best thing to do at the moment was.

* * *

One of the students looked around the room before asking his friends, "Hey, has anyone seen where the giant chick went?"

"Huh? Isn't he in his nest as usual in the Northern Woods?"

"But he wasn't there. It's hard to believe that he'd wake up before it's time for his meal."

"That's troublesome."

"What did you say?" Ruka asked almost in panic voice.

The first student replied him, "The giant chick was not in his nest as usual in the Northern Woods. It would be troublesome if someone goes to the northern woods…"

Before the second student could continue, Ruka was gone.

* * *

The trio had stopped at a clearing. They gathered some wild fruits from the forest. Hotaru and Yuu, who had noticed their silent companion, watched her closely.

"By the way, remember the kid called Natsume in our class? What the heck is he?" Mikan asked while eating the fruit. To Yuu, Mikan sounded angry, but to Hotaru, she sounded sad. Hotaru eyed her curiously.

"Natsume is… how should I put it… well, if you want to stay here, then you better not get involved with him," Yuu began.

Mikan tilted her head. "Huh?"

Hotaru filled in, "I don't really know either… But I know he has the ability to light fire, and that his power is so great that even the adults have trouble with him… And he also detests this academy. I don't know why the idiots in our class respect his power and strength and revolt against the teachers along with him."

_He… detests the academy?_ Mikan asked herself. She wasn't that surprise about that fact since Misaki-sensei had told her about Natsume has been trying to escape this school. The only thing that confused her was why? Why did he detest the academy so much? There must be some reasons behind it. She concluded mentally.

After a moment, Hotaru continued, "He's just really incomprehensible. The only one who can be with him is his best friend, Ruka Nogi. They don't care about rules or anything. There are a lot of bad rumours about him. I forgot when, but, in the middle school division, there was once a rumour that he was a murderer."

Mikan froze. _M-murderer?_

"Well, it's just a rumour," Hotaru said after looking through her best friend's trouble face. She narrowed her eyes. _She's hiding something…_

They froze when they suddenly heard a rustle behind them. Mikan gulped nervously. Together, they turned around and were met with… Ruka?

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	5. Chapter 5—Peck: Sleeping Princess

**Original Posting Date:** 21 May 2009

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**Chapter 5**

-:-

"Hey, how far do you think that transfer student will go in the Northern Woods?"

"Hah! As if! I bet 500 Rabbits that she can't get past the bear."

"Really? You never know, she might have been hiding an awesome Alice."

"Are you crazy? Of course that girl doesn't have any Alice."

"I'm sure she has learned her lesson by now." Sumire countered them all and smiled at Natsume. "Right, Natsume?"

She was oblivious to the fact that Natsume thought she was annoying.

"Shut up," he said coldly.

Everyone went silent as he continued, "Everyone should already know by now… This isn't some place that just anybody can step foot into."

"Yeah… Yeah, that's right! That's what I've been thinking all the time, too. Natsume!" Sumire lied along with her fake smile, but Natsume ignored her.

_I know I used my Alice on her, but it had no effect… Just who is that girl…? _Natsume pondered as he remembered his encounter with Mikan. It's not that he was not grateful for what she had done. He just wanted to teach her not to touch him without his permission. However, he was glad that he couldn't use his Alice on her. He was sure that he would regret it later if he did use his Alice on her.

* * *

Yuu looked at the still panting boy. "What are you doing here, Ruka?"

Just right after Ruka had calmed down…

_TWEET… TWEET… TWEET…_

They froze. Before them was a giant chick, one that was looked like it was in a panic. It was Hotaru who came to her senses first, and as prepared as always, she brought out a tranquilliser gun. Ruka and Mikan were shocked when she was about to shoot it at the giant chick.

"Nooooo!" they shouted in unison.

Yuu and Hotaru turned to look at Ruka and Mikan. Realising what had happened, both blushed red. They absolutely didn't mean to freak out at the same time.

Mikan cleared her throat. "It's a chick so that's mean he's a baby, right? I don't think we have to calm him in such a cruel way. We could do something better than that, right?"

Ruka stared at Mikan with different light.

Yuu suddenly exclaimed, "You can use your Alice, Ruka!"

Mikan gazed at Yuu. "His Alice?"

Yuu nodded. "Ruka has Animal Pheromone Alice."

Ruka looked uncomfortable as he spoke, "I think I could do that but promise to not look."

Still... three heads peered through the bushes as they watched Ruka approached the giant chick.

Yuu began, "Come to think of it, this will be the first time I see Ruka use his Alice."

"Really?" replied Mikan.

Hotaru shortly added, "Me, too. They are not that many in our class who have seen it either… He's so secretive."

Yuu continued, "I've never even seen Ruka talk to anyone other than Natsume. He's also mysterious… in a different way to Natsume. To tell the truth, no one really knows Ruka. He seems so cool and indifferent, yet he sometimes does outrageous things. I wonder who the real Ruka is…"

They watched Ruka stand in front of the giant chick. Then… they were stunned, dumbfounded. It was shocking to see the cool and indifferent Ruka now hugging the giant chick with a warm smile. Well, it was a heart-warming scene to say the least…

* * *

Ruka was ready to dig a hole and bury himself alive as the trio had watched him cry goodbye to the giant chick after the students from the animal club came. His effort to stay cool was gone. His pale face was enough to tell his three classmates his horror.

"Wow, the way things turned out… doesn't it make you think… what was all that trouble for?" Hotaru said nonchalantly.

Trying to hold her laughter, Mikan continued, "Well, we did get to see an amusing sight…"

Yuu sweat dropped as he whispered, "Mikan, your voice is trembling..."

After a few moments, Mikan finally couldn't hold it. "Pfft!"

Ruka twitched in response, and it was the last straw for Mikan as she finally laughed out loud. He tried to run away, but Hotaru grabbed his arms and showed him the evidence of his _special_ moment with the giant chick. He froze. His life was officially doomed. That was what he thought at the moment. He was definitely sure that he had lost his quiet life when the Ice Queen, or more precisely the Blackmail Queen, took an interest in him.

"Ruka-pyon!" Mikan called while holding a rabbit.

Ruka glared at her.

Smiling, she told him, "Look, your forest friends have come to say hello to you."

Ruka was being teased to no end. Hotaru had even built a stand to sell his pictures to the animals after she showed them to him. He was not asked by his three classmates to stay with them, but somehow, he just needed to make sure that Hotaru didn't sell his pictures to other students.

"You guys. We need to keep going, right?" Ruka said with his red face. He was so embarrassed that he wished this was just a dream or a nightmare.

Unfortunately, his wish didn't come true when Mikan's laughter brought him back to reality. "Ruka-pyon, you've shown your true self! I knew you were only pretending to be cool and indifferent, but now that I know what you're like, you seem so simple and foolish and don't look like a bad guy at all!"

The compliments were too much for him that he blushed redder.

After a moment, Mikan asked, "Why are you pretending to be like that?"

Ruka looked away from her.

"Maybe, you're just going along with Natsume?"

Ruka turned around. "What?"

"Whoa. I'm right!"

Mikan couldn't help but angry at Natsume and continued say things she shouldn't, "To me, you're his servant rather than a friend. Come to think of it, he was bossing around everyone in the class."

Everything stayed still, and Yuu looked between Ruka and Mikan nervously. No one, but Hotaru, noticed her voice wavering which clearly showed that she was lying.

Ruka was pissed. "You don't know anything, so shut your big mouth!"

Mikan went silent. She was glad that she could finally stop herself from bad mouthing Natsume as she really didn't mean it.

"Don't insult Natsume. There's no way you'll understand how he feels," Ruka said angrily.

Mikan mentally screamed, _You're right. I don't understand how he feels! __I can't understand how he could ignore me so easily!_ She balled her fist. She then, unintentionally said it out loud, "I. Really. Can't. Understand. Him!"

She froze as they all went silent. They didn't expect her to burst out so suddenly. They all eyed her curiously, especially Hotaru. Her head was downcast as she tried to hide her face. No one could see her eyes as it was covered by her long bangs.

"Something did happen between you two." It was a statement rather than a question.

Both boys looked at Hotaru, who said those words.

Mikan felt like the emotions she was holding back couldn't be stopped any more.

They were shocked when Mikan looked up at them with tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," she said before running away from them.

* * *

Serina-sensei glared at Narumi-sensei with an 'I-told-you' look. They had watched the students closely but for some unknown reasons Mikan suddenly disappeared from her crystal ball. She couldn't track her down except those three.

"I'll look for them now." Narumi-sensei smiled apologetically before leaving the faculty room hastily to look for Mikan.

Serina-sensei sighed and kept trying to look for Mikan.

Meanwhile...

The clairvoyant boy nodded at Natsume, who asked Ruka's location. "Ah, yes, Ruka _was_ with the new girl."

"What do you mean?" Natsume asked as he started getting worried, but he didn't know if he was worried about Ruka or Mikan.

"I just used my Alice a few minutes ago. Ruka was with your classmates, not the new girl. For some reasons, I couldn't find the new girl," the boy explained.

Before leaving the boy, Natsume asked, "Where is he?"

* * *

Yuu was beyond panic. When they realised Mikan had run away, it was too late for them to catch up with her. It'd been half an hour since they tried to look for her. Even though it was such a short time but they could see nothing but trees. It was so thick that they were afraid they might be lost.

"We need to go back and inform the teachers about this," Yuu said. Even though it would leave Mikan alone in the woods, they could do nothing with only the three of them. Agreeing, they turned back and made their way to the school grounds. When they reached Bear-san's cottage, they met Narumi-sensei, who seemed to have been running to the woods. Not long after they told Narumi-sensei what happened, someone else appeared.

"Natsume!" Ruka called when he saw him approach them and everyone turned to Natsume.

"What are you doing here, Ruka?" Natsume asked. His face was stoical but beneath his eyes, he was panicked.

"I'm here to help the Animal Club get the giant chick. Since I'm already here, I decided I might…" Ruka trailed off as he was not sure if he should tell him about what happened to Mikan.

Hotaru's eyes were colder than usual. "What happened between you two? Mikan ran away after Ruka told her that she doesn't know anything about you."

Natsume clenched his fist. Even though it was just a whisper, they all could hear it clearly before he took off. "That baka."

* * *

Mikan kept running deeper and deeper into the woods. She had been stumbling over the tree roots a few times, but she continued to stand up and keep running again. She didn't want to be found by anyone. She didn't know how many hours she had been running. She was tired. Again, she stumbled over the tree roots but this time, she finally let herself meet the dirty ground and didn't run or get up. She willed herself to cry out loud. She felt so tired. She looked up and saw a glimpse of a building. Too tired, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

His body was screaming for him to take a rest but his mind told him not to. He had been running for hours. He didn't know if he was going in the correct direction, but somehow, he had a gut feeling that he was right. After a few minutes of looking for her without success, he finally saw something that made his heart stop beating. It was blood, and it was still fresh. Following the trail of blood, he ran faster and faster. After a few minutes he was surprised that the forest had narrowed down. He was sure that he was near the exit to the high school division.

He rushed forward when he finally saw a fallen body which was none other than Mikan's. Stopping at her side, he moved her quickly but gently so that he could see her face. Her hair had been let loose, for her two hair ties were gone. Her legs and hands were covered with grazes and cuts. Although it was not bleeding anymore, it needed to be treated right away before the infection began. Gently, he cleaned the dirt on her face. Her face also had a small graze. He frowned when he saw her face stained with dried tears.

He scooped her up bridal style and slowly made his way out of the forest. He was right; he was near the exit. He looked down at her. Even though he couldn't find out what her Alice was, she had made it out to the high school division just like the deal stated. Since it was almost dinner time, no one was around. He made his way to the hospital. Along the way, she leaned her head against him. She started mumbling incoherently, causing him to go rigid. He stopped and tried to hear it. He was not disappointed as this time it was clearer.

"How could you ignore me so easily… Natsume…"

He smiled inwardly. He was happy to know the girl that made his heart skip a beat every time he saw her was thinking about him even after what he had done.

Natsume waited for the nurses to finish tending to Mikan's injuries. When they were done, he walked into the room. Taking her right hand, he quietly said, "You have won the challenge. I accept you as an Alice."

Before letting her hand go, he leaned down and gave her a peck on her lips. "See ya, Mikan…"

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	6. Chapter 6—Announcement: Partner

**Original Posting Date:** 23 May 2009

-:-

**Chapter 6**

-:-

Mikan slowly opened her eyes. Her eyes met with pure white ceiling, and she blinked a few times to clear her vision. She tried to sit up, but her body felt so tired, and the memories of yesterday entered her mind at full speed. She sat up so quickly and didn't realise someone was watching her. Alas, her head collided with the said person's. Both cried in pain while rubbing their bruised foreheads. She looked up and was surprised that the person she had collided with was Narumi-sensei. Both smiled at each other.

Mikan grinned. "I'm sorry, Sensei."

Narumi-sensei shook his head. "No, I should be the one to apologise, Mikan-chan."

She went silent and looked away from him. She concluded that he had known her challenge with Natsume.

"Mikan-chan?" he called.

Mikan cast him a glance. "I would like to know… who brought me here, Sensei?"

He smiled uncomfortably as she eyed him suspiciously.

"_Don't tell her that it was me who brought her here," Natsume said, threatening him with his dead glare._

"_I don't think it would be a good idea, Natsume-kun," Narumi-sensei said in a matter-of-fact tone._

_Natsume didn't even bother to reply him as he left._

"Earth to Narumi-sensei…" Mikan called out.

Narumi-sensei blinked. "I'm sorry, Mikan-chan."

"So?"

He smiled. "It was one of the students from the high school division."

Mikan was sure that Narumi-sensei wouldn't tell her who the person was so she let it pass. "Does that mean I've passed the test?"

Narumi-sensei sighed in relief, and it was noticed by Mikan.

He nodded. "Yes. You have passed the test."

Narumi-sensei smiled. "Congratulations on your official enrolment. You will be able to attend classes officially from tomorrow onwards. We will have you stay in the dorms starting today, and—"

"Can I attend the class today?" She cut in.

Narumi-sensei blinked. "Today? But I think you should rest for the day, Mikan-chan."

"It's OK, Narumi-sensei. I'm fine," she assured him.

He sighed. "As you wish then, you will have to get ready now."

She nodded and slowly got up from the bed. She then asked, "Is there anything else, Narumi-sensei?"

He nodded. "Your enrolment is official. For a while, you are no longer allowed to contact anyone outside the school, not even your family."

Knowing she would be treated just like Hotaru, she sighed mentally. _I'm sorry, Grandpa._

She gazed at Narumi-sensei. "I understand."

* * *

Narumi-sensei smiled as he informed, "So, Mikan Sakura is officially an Alice."

The class looked at her in awe, and everyone approached her.

"Congratulations!"

"We were worried about you."

"Was it scary?"

"You're pretty awesome! You won against the bear!"

"Hey, hey, what kind of Alice do you have?"

"I didn't pass the test by myself. Hotaru and Yuu helped me, too." Mikan smiled at them.

"I can't believe that they are all over her. Besides, who was it that started saying she was a fake Alice in the first place!" Sumire huffed.

"That was you," Koko answered her.

Narumi-sensei clapped his hands while saying, "Okay, everyone! Please quieten down!"

The class went silent immediately.

Mikan gazed at Narumi-sensei. _Don't tell me, he's the homeroom teacher for Class B._

"It looks like Natsume isn't here yet," Narumi-sensei said after scanning the classroom, but not long after he said those words, the main door's classroom clicked open.

Before the door was Natsume with his black cat mask. Mikan gasped in shock.

"Natsume!" Ruka sat up immediately.

Mikan's eyes widened when she saw his hand, knee and his neck. _Wh-where did those marks come from…?_

"So you were caught after all? By him…" Narumi-sensei said.

Natsume continued on his way to his seat while grunting, "Shut up."

"Hey, Natsume! Listen to this!" Sumire started, but Natsume kicked her table, silencing her.

"This is bad… Natsume has that punishment mask on."

"Natsume's always in a terrible mood when he has to wear it."

"I heard that when you wear it, it sends electric waves to your brain, giving you an endless headache."

"Natsume…" Ruka gazed at his best friend worriedly.

After a few moments, Natsume assured him, "Don't worry, Ruka."

Narumi-sensei clapped his hands again. "Okay! Now that everyone is here, I have something to tell you. It's about Mikan."

Mikan sweat dropped. _The atmosphere changed rapidly._

Narumi-sensei smiled. "As she is new to this school, she doesn't know right from left. Therefore, I'd like to choose a _partner_ who will guide her through everyday life here. I ask that the selected individual teach her everything about life here and also be with her all the time."

Mikan blinked. _All the time?_

Narumi-sensei grinned. "I'm sure that nobody is going to volunteer since this is a tremendously cumbersome job. Right, so I've already decided this for you."

After looking at the small piece of paper he was holding, he said, "Mikan's partner will be… Natsume Hyuuga."

The class was shocked. _What?_

"Why does Narumi-sensei have to force him to do something like this? I mean, you don't normally make someone of this status do that, right?"

"Poor her, stuck with Natsume as her partner…"

"Just what is that new girl!"

"Hey! Give me a break! What do you mean by this!" Sumire asked, annoyed.

Narumi-sensei bid his goodbye, "Well, that'll be all. Good luck!"

"Like I care." Natsume spat.

After getting over her shock, Mikan sighed. _What in the world is Narumi-sensei thinking?_

"Hey, Sakura. What's your star class?" Sumire asked arrogantly.

Mikan stared at her strangely. "Huh?"

"Unbelievable! This girl doesn't even know what a _star class_ is! I can't believe such a clueless girl chose Natsume as her partner," Sumire said in disbelief.

Mikan ignored her as she inwardly said, _I'm telling you. I didn't choose him._

Because Koko read her mind and told Sumire, she smiled at him in appreciation. Then, Yuu helped Mikan by explaining about the_ star class_ although it was the job of her partner to do so.

After the long explanation, Mikan blinked. "So, Yuu… You're a triple then?"

"Hotaru is also a triple, Mikan." Yuu said, flushed.

Mikan gazed at Hotaru and smiled. She always knew Hotaru would get no less.

"Then, what is Natsume?" Mikan asked before she could stop herself. It was too late to take back the words as she slapped herself mentally.

"Of course he's the one and only _special_ in elementary division," Sumire said proudly and continued on about how great Natsume was. Of course, Mikan ignored her.

Before walking away from Mikan, Sumire snickered, "I guess I'll look forward to finding out what your star level is."

Mikan muttered to herself, "Hai, hai."

In reality, Mikan didn't care what Sumire said because she was worried about Natsume at the moment. He had become her partner now so it was normal to worry about him, right? No matter how much she denied it, she always thought about him. She sighed. She just didn't know what to do anymore.

"I hope you're not thinking about something stupid. No matter how much a dummy like you thinks, you won't figure out an answer. A _star level_ is only what someone else thinks of you. You are still you. There's no use in dwelling over such a thing," Hotaru said after observing her best friend.

Mikan blinked. _Hotaru thought I was thinking about what Sumire said just now._

She smiled at her. "Arigatou, Hotaru."

Hotaru still cared about her after all that time. She decided that she would deal with Natsume later.

Secretly, Hotaru stared at Mikan. She wanted to ask her what happened between her and Natsume. But then, she thought it would be best to keep quiet about it for now.

"Oh crap! The next class is taught by Jinno," a student said after a moment.

Mikan blinked. "Jinno?"

Again, it was Yuu who replied her, "He's the head supervisor of the elementary division and also our math teacher. He's extremely strict and detests things done wrong. You should be careful to not make Jinno-sensei dislike you."

* * *

The class stayed still as they listened to Jinno-sensei.

_This class only pounds down on the weak and wags their tails at the strong…_ Mikan sweat dropped. After a few moments, she stared at the black board.

Unknown to her, Sumire was planning something to get back at her for ignoring her.

One of the students threw a pencil case, but just before it was let loose from the hand, Mikan called out, "Jinno-sensei."

Jinno-sensei turned around just in time to see the flying pencil case that was about to reach Mikan's head. Mikan cried in pain as the pencil case collided with the back of her head. The suspected student who was a boy froze when Jinno-sensei glared at him.

"Detention for you!" Jinno-sensei said sternly.

Mikan looked up at him with teary eyes. "Detention, Sensei?"

Jinno-sensei turned to Mikan and quickly replied, "No, it's not you but the one who threw the pencil case."

Mikan turned around and narrowed her eyes at Sumire. Accusing someone was something that she _would not_ do, but if she was provoked, she would gladly accept the challenge.

"What? Are you accusing me for asking him to do that?" Sumire shouted, annoyed by Mikan's stare.

Mikan stared at her blankly. "I'm sorry. I can't recall saying such things, Shouda-san."

"Detention for you, too, Shouda!" Jinno-sensei glared at Sumire.

Shocked, Sumire fainted, and Yuu rushed towards the poor girl. After that, the lesson continued without any more trouble.

When maths was over, Mikan quickly approached Jinno-sensei, who was about to leave the classroom. She gave him a small bow. "Thank you for the lesson, Sensei. I'm very interested in today's topic, sensei. If you could tell me, I would like to know some good references that I could use for it."

_She will make a good example for those students._ Jinno-sensei smiled inwardly. "Of course, I will give you some references about it."

Mikan gave him another bow. "Arigatou, Sensei."

Jinno-sensei nodded. "As I gather, your _star level_ is not yet determined."

Mikan nodded in confirmation.

"This is a good opportunity. I will decide right here, the _star level_ appropriate for you. You're... a _double_," Jinno-sensei said.

Shocked, Sumire fainted for the second time in a day. Everyone was so surprised that they couldn't utter a word.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	7. Chapter 7—Hug: Forgiveness

**Original Posting Date:** 01 Jun 2009

-:-

**Chapter 7**

-:-

"Whoa… That's unbelievable."

"The new girl was just like Hotaru, a double when she joined us."

"I'm happy for you, Mikan," Yuu said with a smile.

Mikan smiled back. "Thank you, Yuu."

After witnessing the whole thing, Natsume stood up and left the classroom.

Before Ruka could follow him, he spoke, "You don't have to follow me, Ruka. I'm fine."

Ruka did what he wanted and left him alone.

Mikan secretly watched him leave the classroom. Not long after that, she excused herself to meet Jinno-sensei at the Faculty Room.

* * *

Narumi-sensei smiled as he saw Mikan. "Mikan-chan! I have heard from Jinno-sensei that he had decided your _star level_. Congratulations!"

Mikan thanked him before looking around the faculty room but found that Jinno-sensei was not around. "I'm looking for Jinno-sensei, Narumi-sensei."

"Ah, I know. This is the list of references he left for you," he said as he pulled out a piece of paper.

Mikan took it and read the content. She nodded in approval. "Thank you, Narumi-sensei."

Narumi-sensei smiled. "You're welcome, Mikan-chan. Good luck with your studies and before I forget, please ask Iinchou to guide you to the dormitory. A room has been prepared for you since your star level has already been decided."

After telling Narumi-sensei that she understood, she left the faculty room. Closing the door behind her, she leaned against it for a while and sighed. She put the paper on her pocket before exploring the school alone.

* * *

Looking at the nurse that was in the reception, Mikan called, "Excuse me."

The nurse looked up and smiled. "Ah, you're the new girl. Mikan Sakura, right?"

Mikan sweat dropped. She didn't mind being popular around the school… but at the hospital? She was sure that she didn't like the idea.

"Yes, it's me." Mikan smiled back.

The nurse looked at her, questioningly. "Do you need something, Sakura-san?"

Mikan pondered for a while before asking, "Nurse-san, do you know who brought me here yesterday? I hope you could tell me."

The nurses giggled like a high school girl. "Yes. Of course I know, but I can't tell you who he is."

Mikan narrowed her eyes. "May I know why?"

The nurse looked at her apologetically. "That person has threatened us not to tell you."

She had a good guess as to who would threaten someone with his death glare. Looking back at the nurse, she asked, "Was it Natsume?"

The nurse gasped, and Mikan nodded. "I will take that as a 'yes'."

Before the nurse started panicking, Mikan assured her, "Don't worry, I won't tell him."

The nurse sighed in relief. "Thank you. Do you need something else, Sakura-san?"

Mikan tapped her chin. "I'd like to have a first-aid kit. Would you mind giving me one?"

Smiling, the nurse shook her head. "No, I don't mind. Please wait here for a while, Sakura-san."

Mikan nodded and waited for the nurse. After getting the first aid kit, Mikan thanked the nurse and walked out of the hospital. She sighed. She didn't know where she could find Natsume. Yeah, right. She had _purposely_ gone to the hospital so that she could get the information of who brought her to the hospital yesterday, and it was _him_. She didn't know what she should feel at the moment. She was angry but happy that he had come and brought her to the hospital.

"Arrogant jerk," she muttered to herself and smiled inwardly, _I guess I can forgive him now._

* * *

Natsume closed his eyes to endure the pain he was getting from the mask. Right after he brought Mikan to the hospital, he was caught by Persona. He was punished severely for trying to run away from the school. Leaning against the tree, he tried to calm down. He was lucky that he only needed to wear the mask for another hour. He snapped his eyes open when he heard footsteps. He was surprised to find that it was Mikan and she was carrying a first-aid kit. He pretended to be asleep and stayed still. She crouched down and studied his form. Sighing, she took a seat beside his injured knee. Opening the first-aid kit, she took out the necessary things to clean up his wounds. He tried not to flinch when she started cleaning his wounds. Suddenly, she stopped.

"I'm sorry. You will have to bear it for a while," she said while looking at him.

He was unsure whether she knew he was awake or not. She continued tending his wounds. After that, she proceeded to his hand and did the same process again. Lastly, she looked at the one that was on his neck. She didn't know how to tend that one since his head was bent down. She moved closer to him.

"Let me. This will be the last," she said softly.

He sighed inwardly and let her access his neck.

After a few minutes, she sighed in relief. "You'll be fine now."

A soft click was heard as she closed the first-aid kit. "I don't know how you got those marks, and I won't ask you to tell me if you don't want to."

She got on her knees. "I do this not because I want your attention, Hyuuga-san. I'm just doing this as your partner."

It surprised her to hear that her voice sounded so calm. Mentally, she snorted, _As his partner, huh?_

Before she could stand up and leave, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down, which made her sit on his lap. She was shocked, and the next thing she knew was that he was hugging her. She was speechless, but, after a few moments, she smiled.

"Is this how you ask for forgiveness?" she asked.

He replied by tightening his hold.

She took it as a "yes" and hugged him back to assure him that she forgave him.

After a moment, they broke the hug. Before getting up, she touched his injured neck and whispered, "Get well soon, Natsume…"

* * *

Mikan combed her long hair. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. After meeting with Natsume, she was guided to the dormitory and met with Auntie Takahashi. Something unbelievable yet undeniable true was the dinner that they got was also based on their star level. She was glad that she was a double.

Then, suddenly, she heard something. She walked out of her room and saw two kids crying and looking for their mother. As she could see, Auntie Takahashi was trying to calm them. She approached them and immediately crouched down. She wiped the little girl's and little boy's tears.

"Please don't cry…" she gently hushed them then asked the little girl, "What's your name?"

The little girl hiccupped. "Eri."

Mikan turned to look at the little boy, and he told her with sad voice, "Kira."

Mikan smiled. "Nice to meet you, Eri-chan and Kira-kun."

"If it's OK with you both, Onee-san will stay with you until you fall asleep," Mikan said with a warm smile, and finally they stopped crying. Mikan stayed with them both and read a story for them before they went to sleep. Auntie Takahashi smiled at Mikan gratefully. She smiled back and said good night to her before going back to her own room.

-:-

During Jinno-sensei's class, no one made a noise, especially Sumire since he had marked her as a troublemaker. Sumire cried mentally as she really regretted messing around with the new girl a.k.a. Mikan Sakura.

Mikan was half listening to Jinno-sensei, and every once in a while she would steal glances at Natsume. She was glad that he was fine now, but deep down her heart, she was still sad. Natsume still acted like she was nothing to him. She sighed mentally. She really couldn't understand him at all. What he was thinking? She would have to find some time to talk to him, she decided. After the homeroom was over, she immediately approached Jinno-sensei to thank him again and asked him a few questions about the lesson.

As the class watched the teacher and the student, they came to one conclusion: Mikan Sakura had become Jinno-sensei's favourite student.

After Jinno-sensei left the room, Mikan walked back to her seat and gathered her books.

"I'm glad you're fine now," Mikan whispered before leaving the classroom.

Natsume smiled mentally. He was sure that her words referred to no one but him. He was happy that she thought a lot about him.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	8. Chapter 8—Realisation: I Like Him

**Original Posting Date:** 18 Jun 2009

-:-

**Chapter 8**

-:-

"What are you doing here?" Hotaru asked nonchalantly while making her new invention.

"Hotaru… I… I just want to tell you about Natsume… I'm sorry that I didn't tell you anything before…" Mikan began, nervously.

Hotaru sighed softly and stopped working on her invention. She stared at her. "It's about time you told me what happened between you two."

"There's nothing between us for him," Mikan said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

Hotaru eyed her curiously. "There's something between you two for _you_ then."

Mikan sighed tiredly and closed her eyes. She lay down on the couch. Opening her eyes, she stared at the ceiling. "I met him before joining the class, Hotaru."

Hotaru stayed silent.

"But you see, he was acting like he didn't know me at all. I really can't understand him. Asking me to go to the Northern Woods then saving me afterwards."

_So, I was right. It was Hyuuga who brought Mikan to the hospital,_ Hotaru concluded.

"What he was thinking? I…I can't… It's really confusing, Hotaru…" Mikan groaned in frustration.

Hotaru shook her head. "You're an idiot."

Mikan twirled her head towards her. It was so fast that it hurt her neck. "Hotaru! I've finally told you, and you said I'm an idiot. I don't think I deserved that."

Hotaru started working on her invention again.

After a few minutes of her silent treatment, Mikan finally snapped, "Can't you say something, Hotaru?"

"Like I said, you're an idiot. No matter how much you think of it, you won't get the answer," Hotaru said without looking at her.

Mikan huffed and snuggled closer to the coach.

After a few moments Hotaru asked, "What do you think of him, Mikan?"

"I don't know. I get nervous around him, but I feel calm even though he always makes me angry..." Mikan trailed off.

Hotaru rolled her eyes as her best friend could be really dense sometimes.

"Just how much time did you spend with him? It sounds to me that you've known him for a long time," Hotaru said, half-asking.

Mikan blushed brightly at her best friend's last remark. She shuttered out, "I-it's not that long! I-I only spent time with him while treating his wounds. That's all!"

Hotaru stopped working and repeated, "Treating his wounds?"

Mikan nodded and looked up at the ceiling. "It was just yesterday. I'm glad that he's fine now. It was just like our first meeting…"

_Don't tell me Hyuuga really likes Mikan…_ Hotaru narrowed her eyes. She cast her best friend a glance from the side. "Then, what are you thinking right now?"

Mikan frowned. "I'm planning to talk to him, but I don't think I can do that. You know that he'll still act like he doesn't care about me even though I'm his partner now."

Hotaru smirked. "You want him to care about you."

Before Mikan could respond, Hotaru bluntly stated, "You like him, Mikan."

"W-what!" Mikan exclaimed as she sat up immediately. She looked at Hotaru and waited for her to tell her that she was joking, but no, she was serious.

"N-no…t-that can't be…" Mikan said to herself, but her face slowly turned red as she finally realized that might be the case. She always worried about him even after he treated her badly. It was just common sense that she liked him. Mikan buried her red face with her hands. _All this time… I like him… Oh no, what should I do now?_

Her train of thought was interrupted by Hotaru. "Just talk to him, Mikan."

Her red face slowly turned normal as she whispered, "You are right…"

-:-

A few days had passed. Mikan couldn't find the time to speak with Natsume alone at all, and their relationship stayed the same which was ignoring each other. No, it was he who ignored her all the time. She sighed audibly while walking to her Alice-based class alone. Yes, alone.

_Narumi-sensei explained, "At Alice Academy, classes based on Alices are separated into four types where students explore their powers in their _designated_ classes… well, it's actually five categories. There are Predisposition, Technology, Active, Special and Dangerous."_

"It's only me in the _Special Class_." Mikan sighed again. _Come to think of it… Natsume… he must be in Dangerous…_

She blushed, then slapped herself mentally. _Stupid Mikan, why are you always thinking about him?_

_Oh, right. That's because you like him!_ Her rational mind mocked her, and she sighed again. Just before making a turn, she met Natsume. Both of their eyes widened in surprise. Before she could greet him, he clamped his right hand over her mouth and trapped her in his arms.

"Keep quiet," Natsume said while panting softly.

Mikan blushed as she could feel his hot breath on her neck. Natsume was oblivious that her face had turned deep red, and their bodies were pressed very closely. Her heart beat faster but began to slow down when she heard a voice.

"Natsume, I suggest you answer me if you're here."

Mikan caught a glimpse of a man in a white mask. She felt something about that man, something dangerous that she didn't like at all. After the man left them, Natsume slowly released her. Still panting, he slid down the wall, using it as his support. He was really tired from running away from Persona.

"You can go now," he told her.

Worried, she crouched down and touched his forehead. "Are you alright, Natsume?"

He slapped her hand away. "I told you, you can go now."

"I won't until I'm sure you're alright!" Mikan twitched.

Natsume's eyes widened when he saw her hard glare. Then suddenly, he coughed.

Her anger faded in seconds. She stroked his back slowly while holding his left hand. She looked at him with concern.

After he calmed down, he exhaled and closed his eyes. When he felt a soft fabric on his face, he opened his eyes. His eyes met a pair of worried pale, brown eyes. He caught the wrist of her hand that was wiping his sweats. She didn't protest when he slowly pulled her into his arms and hugged her.

She felt she would faint at any minute. She was lucky that Natsume couldn't see her already red face which could be rival a tomato. Unable to speak, she hugged him back. She wondered if he could hear her pounding heart that was ready to burst from her chest. Too busy with her own feelings, she couldn't feel his pounding heart that was beating as fast as hers. After a moment or two, her heart finally calmed down, and she hugged him tightly. A few minutes later, they broke the hug.

"How are you feeling now?" Mikan tilted her head.

Natsume grunted a reply, "Hn."

Mikan narrowed her eyes then sighed. She really didn't feel like arguing with him. Not now, she reminded herself.

Natsume stood up and followed by her. When he was about to leave, she caught his wrist. He stopped and turned to her with an eyebrow raised.

She stammered out, "I… I…"

Mentally, she shook her head. What was it so hard to ask him when she finally got him alone with her now? She mentally told herself, _Speak, Mikan!_

"Can you tell me why?" She finally asked. "Why did you act like you don't know me when I first came to the classroom? I… I can't understand you, Natsume…"

Mikan looked at the ground and bit her lower lip. She slowly released her grip on his wrist.

They remained silent for a good minute.

She looked up at him and almost pleadingly said, "I really want to understand you, Natsume…"

Then he suddenly asked back, "Is it because I'm your partner?"

Mikan was surprised and shook her head. "N-no! Of course not! It was—"

She stopped abruptly then blushed. She looked away from him and mentally screamed, _Oh no, I almost confess to him that I like him!_

"It was?" Natsume pondered. He then noticed her blush. Smirking, he approached her, and with his forefinger on her chin, he lifted her face to look at him.

Her eyes widened when he slowly leaned down. "W-what are you doing, Natsume?"

He leaned close to her ear. Their cheeks brushed gently, and she blushed redder.

"It is best for you to stay away from me, Mikan," he whispered.

Her red face was instantly replaced with a confused one. Without waiting for an answer from her, he left her with her thoughts.

Later that day, Mikan finally met her Special Class's senpai named Tsubasa. It was just a coincidence that she met him while looking for the Special class. Her first impression about the class was weird, but since everyone welcomed her so warmly, she couldn't help feel like she was at home.

* * *

While combing her brown locks, Mikan heard a knock from the door. Setting the brush back to the nightstand, she walked towards the door while asking, "Who is it?"

Mikan opened the door and found no one. She frowned. Had she daydreamed about someone knocking on the door again? It was hard to admit, but it was the truth that after Natsume left her, she couldn't help but think about him and him only. It was kind of irritating to say the least. There were a lot of questions that she wanted to ask him. What did he mean by "stay away from him"? Why? Was that the reason he ignored her all this time? Was it? She felt her head would explode, for her mind was flooded with so many questions, and no matter what she did, she couldn't find the answers. She realised that she couldn't leave him alone because she likes him.

"Why would I like someone like him?" she murmured to herself. Oh yes, she finally could admit it out loud to herself without blushing so madly like a steamed crab. Suddenly, she felt stupid for talking to no one but a door in front of her. Huffing, she closed the door with a soft click.

Unknown to her, a certain someone heard every word she said.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	9. Chapter 9—Realisation: I Like Her

**Original Posting Date:** 04 Jul 2009

-:-

**Chapter 9**

-:-

There was a boy sleeping peacefully under the tree. His young and handsome face was covered by his manga. To everyone he looked like he was sleeping, but the truth was he just closed his eyes while his mind ran wildly.

He didn't intend to visit _her_ yesterday. His body was moving on its own accord, and after he knocked on _her_ door, he cowardly hid himself in the empty room in front of _her_ room. He was lucky that she didn't notice that he had left the door opened a bit so that he could hear _her_ voice. It had never occurred to him that _she_ would like someone in a short amount of time. It was impossible to him. The only guy _she_ had close contact with was himself. Well, he wouldn't count Iinchou or Ruka as they both were not as close as he was with _her_. But he then suddenly asked himself why he would care about who she likes. Thanks to his manga, no one could see his curious, furrowed eyebrows. His lips formed a thin line as he frowned mentally. What's happening to him?

Too occupied with his own thoughts, he never realised that someone approached him. It was a girl. The girl remained silent as she sat beside him. Not having any response from the boy, she leaned her head near him and brought her hand slowly to his manga so she could remove it.

Out of the blue, realization hit Natsume like a ton of bricks as his eyes snapped open under the manga and he sat up instantly. It was unavoidable as the collision of both foreheads made them cry out in unison. It sure left a red mark. Natsume glared at the person who sat beside him but was surprised that it was none other than Mikan. What was she doing here? That was what he thought.

While rubbing her small bump, Mikan looked at Natsume. "I thought you were sleeping!"

He looked away from her. "What are you doing here?"

Mikan, who was looking at his frowning face, sighed audibly for him to hear. "Of course, it's because I want to _see_ you. I thought you might be here, that's why I came here."

He caught the sarcasm between her words but decided to ignore it as it was not important to him. After a moment or two he spoke again, "You've seen me now, so leave me alone."

She twitched as she held her breath and counted to ten to decrease her anger meter. Good thing that it was working as she started to calm down. He really did it again. He purposely made her angry with every hurtful word he could think of. She gave a soft sigh. After a moment she realised that he was pretending that she was not there. Annoyed, she grabbed the collar of his white shirt rudely to draw him to her. As a result, his wide eyes met her narrowed eyes.

As predicted, he slapped her hands away and looked away from her. She grabbed his collar again, but this time she pulled him closer as her face was an inch away from his. He tried to push her away, but when her eyes suddenly softened and looked at him with pleading eyes, he stopped himself from doing so. They stared into each other's eyes for a while. He then held her right wrist with his left hand gently, and she slowly released the collar of his shirt.

She sighed in relief and looked at him with appreciation. She was grateful that he didn't push her away this time. Even after she released his collar, he still held her wrist, and she also didn't pull back. They remained silent for a good minute before he leaned his body against the tree. She followed suit. The only thing that connected them was her wrist that was still held captive by his left hand. She smiled happily to herself.

"What is it?" he asked while watching one petal of the Sakura tree that was floating down to the ground.

She softly replied, "I want to be your friend, Natsume."

Friendship was something that she could offer him right now. Though she wanted to be more than friends, she still wanted to be sure about her own feelings and see if it would grow and bear fruits. A fruit where they would come to like each other or maybe in love with each other. She had to admit that she dared to hope for that miracle.

He didn't want to lose her for one reason or another, which he still couldn't explain himself, but he was sure of one thing: he liked her. He cast her a sideways glance before looking up to the blue sky. He knew that she was waiting for his answer. He looked at the white cloud that was moving slowly. He didn't answer her by words. People say actions speak louder than words. He released his hold on her wrist and then entwined her hand with his. From the corner of his eyes, he saw her smiling face that was directed to him.

He had accepted her. The answer was clear with their entwined hands. No one uttered a word, and they were just fine with it.

"What are you looking at?" he asked calmly when he felt her eyes on him. She giggled and brought her hand to his forehead or, to be precise, to the slightly red spot on his forehead. He closed his eyes as he let her massage the little bump on his forehead.

"Ne… Natsume…" she called him after bringing her hand back to her side.

He grunted a reply, and she continued, "What you said yesterday… about staying away from you…" she trailed off.

He sighed softly and quietly told her, "It would be best for you to stay away from me."

"You think I won't be able to help you?" she countered back.

He gazed at her then narrowed his eyes.

She started fidgeting. "W-what?"

He looked away from her; then she twitched.

"If you have something to say, please say it." She clenched her fists tightly.

"Someone like you who doesn't even know her own Alice…" he muttered quietly.

Her anger dissipated immediately. She reached out to his face with her free hand. She cupped his face and made him looked at her in the eye.

"I know what my Alice is," she told him with a smile.

He looked at her curiously as he, too, wanted to know about her Alice.

"I don't know if I can help you with my untrained Alice, but I'll try my best," she continued.

Finally, he couldn't hold his curiosity. "Your Alice?"

She released his face from her hand and began, "I heard from Narumi-sensei that my Alice can only protect me from anything that tries to harm me."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

She looked down at her free hand as she clamped and unclamped it. "One day, I'm sure that I'll be able to use it to protect everyone and to protect you…"

She squeezed his hand and smiled at him.

Looking at her smile, he tightened his hold on her hand, and her smile grew.

After a moment, she said, "I have to go now, Natsume."

He would feel lonely without her. Even so, he released her hand. Then something unexpected happened; she engulfed him in a hug. Hesitantly, he hugged her back, and strangely, he felt calm.

"Don't tell anyone about this; my Alice is Nullification," she whispered to his ear. After that she broke the hug and smiled at him. "I'll see you around, Natsume!"

With that said, she left him.

"There's no way your Alice could help me, and it should be me who'll protect you, not the other way round, silly girl," he muttered and then closed his eyes.

The peace was broken when he heard his voice. "We've got an urgent task. I've been looking for you."

It was the same white masked man that was looking for him the other day. "Come on. Like before… you won't give too much trouble this time, right?"

Natsume glared at the man before standing up and left his manga under the tree.

* * *

Jinno-sensei had told Mikan to meet him after math. Since Natsume didn't attend math, she had decided to look for him first before going to meet her math teacher.

"Jinno-sensei," Mikan greeted politely.

Jinno-sensei nodded and stood up from his seat. "Come."

Together, they walked out from the faculty room.

_Library?_ Mikan asked herself. Strangely, no one was around in the library. She wondered why.

"Wait here," Jinno-sensei said quietly.

Mikan nodded as she watched Jinno-sensei walk away from her. After that, she looked around the library and approached one of the bookshelves. She found an interesting book named _Types of Alices_. She took the book from the shelf and sat down at one of the chairs. Placing the book on a desk, she started reading the book.

Unnoticed by her, someone was watching her with a pair of gentle eyes. Jinno-sensei was standing behind the person.

"She is the one…" the person said quietly.

Jinno-sensei nodded. "Hai."

The person smiled and approached the oblivious girl slowly. When he stood in front of her, she finally noticed him. She looked up, and they stared at each other, one with curious eyes and the other with gentle eyes.

_Who is he?_ she asked herself. The man before her was wearing a weird outfit like a… general?

The man smiled. "Hajimemashite."

Mikan blinked before standing up immediately. She bowed at him while stuttering, "Ha-hajimemashite."

Slowly, she looked up at him. "A-ano…"

She stopped mid-sentence when she saw the man smiled at her. "I've finally met you."

Confused, she asked, "I'm sorry; have we met before?"

She scolded herself mentally after that question slipped out from her mouth. From his words, she should have known that the person knew about her but never met her before. Another question came to her mind. How? The person approached her. He crouched down and petted her head gently. While looking at the person with confusion, she felt as though it was not strange for him to touch her, and she felt safe.

"If you have any trouble, please tell me," he told her with a smile and mentally added, _For Izumi, I will protect you._

"Ask Jinno-sensei if you wish to see me," he said as Jinno-sensei stepped out from wherever he was hiding. After he stopped petting her head, he stood up fully. He smiled at her for the last time and turned around. Before he could walk away from her, she caught his big hand. He stopped and turned to look at her hand. Mikan, who just realised her action, immediately released his hand. He crouched down again and smiled at her as he waited for her to speak.

"I wish to know your name. Who are you? Are you a teacher in this school? I've never seen you before," she said shyly, but then gasped as she realised she asked so many things at once.

"My name is Kazumi Yukihira. I'm not a teacher in this school, but rather the high school principal," he said with a chuckle.

She looked at him with wide eyes. _The High School Principal?_

"Principal Yukihira," Jinno-sensei called out suddenly.

Kazumi gave a low sigh before telling her, "I'll see you again, Mikan."

Before she could ask him again, he had left with Jinno-sensei. Mikan sighed as she was left with so many unanswered questions. She might try to ask Jinno-sensei to meet the principal again because she wanted to know how the principal knew about her.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	10. Chapter 10—Promise: Principal Yukihira

**Original Posting Date:** 13 Aug 2009

-:-

**Chapter 10**

-:-

She blinked as she stared at the manga that was lying on the Earth floor. After meeting the high school principal, she had decided to see Natsume again but found his manga instead. She didn't know where he went to leave his manga unattended. She sighed and sat down on the very same spot where Natsume had used to lie down. She leaned against the tree and scanned the cover of the manga. A big letter of RPG was printed there. Since her lesson with Jinno-sensei, reading had become one of her hobbies. Intrigued by the content of the manga, she took a peek. She intended to peek at a few pages, but after 10 pages she mentally multiplied it until she lost count and just simply read the manga without caring about the time.

An hour later, Mikan let out a soft sigh as she finally finished the manga. She closed the manga with a soft thump. Still holding the manga, she closed her tired eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy as she decided that a light nap didn't sound bad. Slowly, she let herself fall into a light sleep.

Natsume threw his tired body on his long and comfy sofa to take some rest as his bed was taken by a certain brunette. He closed his eyes as he remembered how he found the girl sleeping under the tree while holding his manga. He shook his head for the girl's carelessness. Since he couldn't leave the girl alone, he had carried her to his room. He could bring her back to her room, but it was too risky. Most of the students were _double_, and he really wasn't in the mood to bump into someone while carrying her. The thought of her being with him made him feel calm as he allowed his body and mind to rest.

* * *

Mikan felt warm. She felt so warm under the blanket. Blanket? Her eyes snapped open as she sat up instantly. She was quite disoriented as her pig tails were loosened. As scanned the room, she blinked a few times. It was definitely not her room because the room she was in was huge and quite simple. The owner of the room must be a boy, she guessed. She blinked again. A boy? Quickly, she got up from the bed.

When she opened the door of the bedroom, she gasped. She almost felt as if she was living in a house as the room was complete with a kitchen, a dining room and a living room. Then her eyes caught a sleeping boy on the sofa. She smiled wider each time she took a step closer to the sleeping boy. She guessed right; it was really Natsume's room. When she saw a few small cuts and grazes on his arms, she furrowed her eyebrows. She was sure that before she left him just now, he was fine.

Walking back to the bedroom again, she went to the bathroom to look for a first aid. When she found it, she smiled. Since he's _special_ and had everything in his room, she felt slightly envious. Stepping out from the bathroom, she searched for a blanket before going back to the living room. He was still sleeping when she was back after retrieving the first aid and the blanket. Smiling down at the sleeping boy, she helped him treat his wounds for the third time. She couldn't help but be curious about how he got those wounds.

* * *

Slowly, Natsume opened his eyes and then blinked a few times before getting up. He yawned tiredly then saw a blanket that was covering him. He blinked. He then smelt something delicious. Silently, he made his way to his kitchen and gaped when he saw Mikan. She was cooking while humming to herself. He smiled while watching her intently. He never knew that she could cook. He saw her taste the stew she was making. After a few seconds, she made such a weird face that he couldn't help but chuckle.

Mikan twirled around and saw Natsume, who was chuckling. She gave him a blank stare and almost asked him what he was chuckling for but stopped. She smiled at herself as this was the first time she saw him chuckle.

He finally realised that someone was watching him and stopped chuckling immediately. He looked up at her and his face turned emotionless again.

She frowned before checking the stew again. "I see that you're awake."

He grunted a reply, "Hn."

She sighed as she was quite tired of receiving his emotionless "Hn."

After a few moments she said, "The stew is ready. You can wait in the dining room."

He made his way out of the kitchen and waited for her. She was out of the kitchen after a minute or two and served the stew. It was already past dinner time, so there were no wonder that she had decided to make dinner by herself.

* * *

After she was done with the cleaning, Mikan asked, "Is the dinner alright with you?"

Natsume nodded in reply. He didn't say anything as the dinner was indeed delicious. At first, he thought it was just a show, but she really could cook, and it tasted good too. He thought that she would make a good wife for that. He blinked and kicked himself mentally for thinking that. He shook his head mentally.

"Natsume…" she called him quietly.

He looked up and raised an eyebrow at her.

She stared at him. "Where have you been after I left?"

He looked away from her in reply and remained silent.

She sighed audibly as she knew that he wouldn't tell her anything. She guessed maybe he needed time to adjust to her. Their friendship just started a while ago after all. She told herself that she would wait for him to tell her.

"It's late. I have to go now," she said as she got up from her seat. She smiled with appreciation. "Thanks for carrying me here."

When she was about to walk away from him, her wrist was caught by him.

They stared at each other.

Seeing his troubled eyes, she knew that he tried to apologise that he couldn't tell her how he got those wounds. She put her hand on his and smiled at him. She told him that she understood by nodding her head.

He gave her a small smile.

After he released her wrist, she engulfed him with a warm hug and whispered, "Good night, Natsume."

He hugged her back. "Good night… Mikan."

-:-

Staring at the blank postcard before her, Mikan pondered what she should write for her Jii-chan. Today, after the homeroom she had asked Otonashi-san, who had the Divination Alice, to check her Jii-chan because she was worried about him. As expected, her Jii-chan was worried sick about her. She sighed. She knew that she couldn't contact anyone, even her family, after she'd officially enrolled to the academy, but she really wanted to tell her Jii-chan she was alright and tell him not to worry about her. Making up her mind, she wrote something on the card. She smiled after she re-read the card and nodded to herself. She was sure that Narumi-sensei wouldn't have any problem with her message.

While reading her post card, Narumi-sensei asked, "This is the one that you want to send to your Jii-chan?"

Mikan nodded. "Yes."

Narumi-sensei blinked and re-read the post card again to make sure that he was reading the correct message even though it was just two sentences and a signature. He looked up at Mikan, who was waiting for his permission.

"Yes, you can send this post card. I do think that no one is going to complain about it, Mikan-chan." He smiled at her encouragingly.

Mikan smiled. "Thank you, sensei!"

"You're welcome," he said and gave her back the post card.

After that, Mikan excused herself to place the card into the mailbox.

* * *

Mikan didn't know where she should go as she had nothing to do, but her legs led her to the Sakura tree. She smiled when she found that Natsume was there. He was in the same position like yesterday, lying on his back with his arm as his pillow and his manga that covered his face. She sat down at his side and didn't bother to wake him up.

Natsume was aware that someone had come to sit beside him. He waited for interruption, but it never came. He then finally realised that the person sitting beside him was Mikan. He smiled inwardly. He didn't know why he felt so calm when she was next to him. Nevertheless, he was glad that she had come.

After staring at the Sakura petals that were dancing around in the air before touching the Earth floor, Mikan turned to look at the sleeping boy beside her. She looked at his raven hair and felt the urge to touch it but was afraid that the owner might wake up from his slumber.

She leaned closer to his ear and softly whispered, "Natsume… are you with me?"

He grinned mentally and remained silent.

"Please don't get angry at me if you don't like it…" she told him softly.

He stayed still even though he felt like waking up and asking her what she meant by that. After a moment, his unspoken question was answered by her fingers that were tracing his hair. He almost sighed in delight as he really enjoyed the feeling of her fingers on his hair.

"You have soft hair, Natsume… I wonder if my hair was this soft…" she said softly.

He smiled inwardly. He had touched her hair during their first meeting. He wished he could tell her that her hair was soft, too. Much to his disappointment, she let go of his hair after a few minutes. He didn't know that she let it go because she saw someone she had been looking for since this morning.

"See you, Natsume…" she whispered before leaving him.

Not long after she left him, Natsume uncovered his face and pushed his upper body with his arms to look at her leaving figure. He shook his head in disbelief when he found out that she was running towards Jinno-sensei. He didn't know whether he should be happy because she was a good student or upset because she chose Jinno-sensei over him.

While running towards the walking teacher, Mikan called out, "Jinno-sensei!"

Luckily for her, Jinno-sensei did stop. After catching her breath, she straightened herself. "Good afternoon, Jinno-sensei."

He nodded. "Good afternoon."

She smiled at her math teacher. "Jinno-sensei, is it possible for me to meet Principal Yukihira again? I wish to talk to him."

He remained silent for a few minutes before answering, "Come."

She smiled wider as she was glad that she could meet Principal Yukihira again.

* * *

Mikan looked at the ticking clock before her. She had waited for almost an hour, but neither Jinno-sensei nor Principal Yukihira appeared. She sighed. Feeling bored, she approached one of the shelves and randomly picked a book to read to pass the time. She was asked by Jinno-sensei to wait at the same spot where he had left her yesterday. The strangest thing was no one was around in the library. She wondered if the library was not used anymore. She has to admit that the location of the library was quite far from the school building. She remembered that they had a library that was near the school building, but this library was much bigger than that. Again, she pondered, why?

She almost jumped in surprise when Principal Yukihira suddenly appeared before her. Actually, it was not suddenly as he had stood there, watching her read for 20 minutes. He knew from the look on her face that she enjoyed reading and didn't want to disturb her.

She stood up and gave him a small bow. "Good afternoon, Principal Yukihira."

Kazumi smiled. "Good afternoon, Mikan. I am sorry for making you wait."

Shaking her head, she quickly replied, "No, it should be I to say sorry for calling you on my own accord."

Kazumi smiled at her intelligence and politeness. He was proud that she was his niece. He approached her and crouched down. He took her little hands and smiled. "I'm so proud of you."

She tilted her head, confused. She looked at him in the eye. "Can you tell me who you are?"

"I know you're the high school principal, but what I want to know is…" she trailed off.

He smiled. "You wish to know how I know you. Am I right?"

She nodded her head.

"Will you promise me that you won't tell anyone if I tell you the truth?" he asked carefully.

"Does that mean I have to keep it a secret?" she asked him back.

He nodded with a small smile. "A secret between us, and, of course, only a certain teachers like Jinno-sensei would know our secret."

She bit her lower lip while pondering if she could keep this secret from Hotaru as she had never kept a secret from her before. She did keep secrets from her, but it wouldn't be long before she told her after a few days. She looked at the principal again. Somehow, she knew that the information he was about to give to her would be very important and couldn't be found out by anyone else. Making up her mind, she mentally apologised to Hotaru. "I promise I won't tell anyone about this secret."

He nodded. "Are you ready to know the secret, then?"

She gulped and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was kind of nervous, to say the least. Finally, she nodded with a hum of acknowledgment.

He gazed at her with gentle eyes. "You are my niece."

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	11. Chapter 11—Slave: Culture Festival

**Original Posting Date:** 17 Aug 2009

-:-

**Chapter 11**

-:-

The announcement of the Culture Festival excited everyone but one girl named Mikan Sakura. During the explanation by Narumi-sensei, she looked out of the window.

"_Your father Izumi Yukihira is my little brother," Kazumi said and started telling her that her father was a teacher at Alice Academy. Her father had passed away for a reason that he couldn't tell her. After that, she was told that her mother Yuka Azumi had escaped from the academy_,_ and to protect her, she let her go to her current Jii-chan. But by coincidence_,_ or perhaps by fate, she had come to Alice Academy by herself._

_She didn't know whether she should be happy that she finally found out about her parents or sad that she was left with so many unanswered questions. Looking at her now Uncle Kazumi's sad face, she couldn't bring herself to ask more about her father. She wished to know more about her parents. She swallowed her nervousness. "Principal, no, I mean u-un—"_

"_You don't have to force yourself to call me uncle," Kazumi said at once. His voice was gentle._

_She looked at his eyes and knew that he meant it, but he also wanted to hear her call him uncle. She sighed. Really, she needed time to adjust __to __the current situation. She still couldn't believe that she was actually the high school principal's niece. After the truth was told, she came to visit Uncle Kazumi almost every day as she wished to know more about him. Moreover, she was happy that this was the first time she felt she had a real family._

"Mikan-chan, are you alright?" A voice brought her back from her dazed mind.

Mikan turned to look at Anna. "Oh, yes, I'm alright."

Yuu started telling her about the details of the Culture Festival even though she already knew it. The library where she had come to meet Uncle Kazumi was actually his private library. She had gotten the permission to use it as she wished. As a result, she spent most of her time reading to pass time and so that she could stop herself from asking Uncle Kazumi about her parents.

Unnoticed by her, she had learned a lot more than a normal elementary student would as Jinno-sensei and Misaki-sensei had come to help her with her studies, which made her learn more advanced topics compared to the class including Natsume.

During Yuu's explanation about what the Special Class usually does for the Culture Festival, two guys from the middle school division came into the classroom. Mikan stared at one of them as he reminded her of someone.

"The _Special Class_ is without a doubt the #1 most unpopular class," the green-haired guy snickered.

Mikan blinked a few times as she tried to look at him more clearly.

The guy continued, "An obvious result for a class made up of a mixture of weirdoes and dropouts."

Unintentionally, Mikan replied him, "So, what about it?"

The class and the guy quickly turned to Mikan. "Ah, it's you, Mikan Sakura, or the new girl that was unfortunately placed in the _Special Class_."

Mikan hummed to herself as she didn't remember being so popular. She repeated, "So, what about it?"

The class remained silent as it was rare to hear Mikan actually talk, and now they just heard her talk back to a senior. Truth to be told, the class had come to respect her even though she seldom spoke to anyone other than Hotaru.

"Don't talk back to me even though you are so popular," the guy retorted annoyingly.

Mikan continued staring at him with a blank look on her face that could rival Hotaru's.

Suddenly, the boy felt a piercing glare on him. He turned around and was surprised to find that it was Natsume's. He laughed sinisterly. "I almost forgot. Worse than the #1 unpopular _Special Class_ is the _Dangerous Class_, who can't even enter the festival. Since the government—"

Unfortunately for him, he couldn't finish his words as his hair was on fire.

Mikan gazed at Natsume as he left the classroom without a word with Mochu since Ruka had gone to his class for the Culture Festival meeting.

The following hours were eventful as the said guy was actually Sumire's older brother. Ironically, he had come to invite Hotaru to their Culture Festival meeting, but Hotaru didn't even know who he was.

_Poor guy,_ Mikan said mentally while looking at the guy in sympathy.

Later that day, Mikan had come up with an idea to play an RPG for their class Culture Festival. After everyone agreed, she made a request that made everyone turn silent instantly. Mikan knew no one would agree to let _him_ join their class. Yes, she was planning to invite Natsume.

After a moment of silence, Tsubasa spoke, "Chibi, I don't think we have a problem with that."

Mikan smiled gratefully as the others agreed with Tsubasa.

* * *

Thinking about asking him to join their class activity made her happy. Mikan smiled as she saw Natsume under the Sakura tree. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought that they always met at the sakura tree. She was surprised when she found him unusually leaning against the tree with closed eyes. He didn't seem to be asleep though. She sat at his side and stared at his handsome face.

Alert as usual, he spoke, "What are you looking at?"

She giggled in reply, and Natsume opened his eyes.

"I thought you're so cute when you—"

She couldn't finish her sentence as he flicked her forehead.

"That hurt!" She glared at him while rubbing her brow.

Natsume almost rolled his eyes. "Don't call men _cute_."

_Of course you're not cute. You're a handsome prince,_ Mikan replied him mentally, but unfortunately for him, he didn't know or hear that. She looked away from him, flushing. She suddenly felt so embarrassed.

Unknown to them, Ruka, who was about to approach Natsume, had stopped and watched them from a far.

"What are you doing here?" Natsume asked with eyes that were filled with amusement. He wanted to know why she blushed so red even though it was not unusual when she was around him. Of course, he noticed the way she talked to him. But sometimes, she would start blushing for unknown reasons. It was a cute sight, and much to his dismay, her blush disappeared after he asked her.

"Oh, I've come to invite you."

He raised an eyebrow.

She smiled. "Join our Special Class for the Culture Festival."

"No," he replied immediately.

She pouted. "Come on, Natsume. You're not doing anything, right? I wish that you could join us, and everyone has already agreed to have you."

He ignored her by closing his eyes and leaning against the tree again.

She sighed audibly. "Tell me, what should I do to make you agree to join our class?"

Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind, and he smirked, still with closed eyes.

She fidgeted nervously as she regretted her decision to make him decide the price for joining their class.

Ruka's eyes widened when he saw Natsume lean closer to Mikan. He quickly left them as he wished not to see what happen between them because it already hurt enough to know that his best friend liked the girl he liked.

Her heart beat faster when she saw him open his eyes and lean closer to her. His cheek barely touched hers as he leaned to her ear and whispered, "Be my slave."

"W-what?" Mikan exclaimed with wide eyes. She started backing away from him, but unfortunately for her, his right hand caught her left wrist, and she was pulled back to him. His left arm was wrapped around her small waist and their faces were an inch away. She felt that she would faint if he didn't let her go within a minute. In 45 seconds, he surprised her as he tilted his head and hugged her fully with his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Be my slave for the Culture Festival; then I will agree to join your class," he said quietly into her ear, still hugging her tightly.

She slapped herself mentally as she didn't realise that he was only trying to hug her. In truth, it had been a week since he hugged her like this. Oh, their relationship remained the same but their _hugging ritual _was more frequent than usual after their friendship began. She hugged him back and told him that she agreed to be his slave but only for the Culture Festival.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	12. Chapter 12—The Gift: Hair Clip

**Original Posting Date:** 20 Aug 2009

-:-

**Chapter 12**

-:-

Mikan blinked and stared at her uncle in disbelief.

He chuckled, and she pouted. "Will you please tell me that one more time, Uncle Kazu?"

Kazumi smiled. He couldn't help but be happy each time she called him _uncle_, and her formal speech was no longer there so it was as if they were family from the start.

"I said you have more than one Alice, Mikan," he said with gentle eyes.

She hummed and murmured to herself, "How come I have more than one Alice? Was it…"

"Yes. You inherited Yuka's Alices, too," Kazumi filled.

Her eyes softened as she was glad that she had her mother's Alices. She muttered, "Okaa-san…"

"Since you have more than one Alice, your star level will be increased," he told her gently.

She blinked. "Does that mean I'm _triple_ now?"

He nodded with a small smile. Too happy, Mikan ran towards her uncle and hugged him. He was surprised, but then he smiled and patted his little niece's back.

"Thank you, Uncle Kazu!" She grinned at him.

He chuckled. "You're welcome, but I have to remind you that you can't tell anyone that you have more than one Alice."

"Another secret…" Mikan said to herself. Sadness was evident in her voice. She gasped when she felt herself being lifted by her uncle. Confused, she looked at her uncle. Finally, she realised that her uncle was trying to comfort her when she saw her uncle's gentle smile. She smiled, nodded her head and told her uncle that she would keep it as a secret before hugging his neck. She hated keeping secrets from Hotaru, but it couldn't be helped. Still, she was happy because she was not alone.

-:-

She almost laughed out loud when she saw Sumire's horrified face when she found out that starting today, she, Mikan Sakura was no longer _double_ but _triple_, which meant she was a higher rank than her. She wouldn't tell anyone that her main goal was actually _special_ as she really wanted to have a room like Natsume's. Moreover, if she could achieve _special_, she would be able to stay on the same floor with him. She blushed upon the thought. She shook her head mentally to clear her mind that was slowly flooded by his face.

"Mikan-chan, it's really surprising that you are _triple_ now," Anna said and looked at her in awe.

Nonoko nodded. "You are really like Hotaru to have achieved _triple_ so quickly."

"It can't be helped since Mikan-chan can get the highest mark for every subject even though she just joined us a few months ago," Yuu piped up with a smile.

"Nah… I'm not that great, Yuu. I'm still behind you in certain subjects," Mikan replied with a smile. Yes. Everyone knew she was _triple_ because of her hard work in her studies, not because of her Alice. Truth to be told, she purposely stayed behind Yuu for certain subjects because she had heard Yuu wanted to achieve the _best student award_ for this year. She wanted to visit her Jii-chan badly, but she didn't want to be selfish. After all, he was the first one that actually accepted her without question for who she was when she joined Alice Academy.

"You also look different today," Anna said as Nonoko nodded.

Mikan grinned. "Oh, you mean my hair."

"I have lost the pair, so…" she trailed off as she traced her hair that was tied in pony tail. Yes, she decided to change her hairstyle.

"Ah, Mikan-chan, did you know that we are going to Central Town today?" Yuu asked while fixing his glasses.

Mikan blinked, and Yuu continued, "Do you want to come with us?"

Before Mikan could reply a yes, her pony tail was pulled by a pair of small hands.

Everyone was surprised to see that it was Youichi Hijiri. Youichi released his grip on her hair and unexpectedly hugged her.

Sumire was in rage as she had always tried to hold the Spirit Manipulator but never succeeded.

"What's your name?" Mikan asked gently.

Youichi looked up at her but didn't reply.

"His name is Youichi Hijiri, 3 years old. He's from A class but is attached to Natsume, so he sometimes comes to B class to play," Yuu said, replying to her question.

"Nice to meet you, You-chan. My name is Mikan." Mikan smiled at the young boy.

Youichi replied by hugging her, and she laughed.

Not long after that, Jinno-sensei appeared before the door. "Sakura."

Mikan nodded her head in reply and looked down at Youichi. "I'm glad to meet you, You-chan, but Onee-chan has to go now. Okay?"

She was about to let go of the boy, but unfortunately, the boy clung to her like glue. She tried to look at his face. "You-chan?"

Youichi buried his face in her chest and refused to reply.

When she was about to open her mouth, a voice interrupted her, "Youichi."

Everyone turned to look at Natsume, who just walked into the classroom with Ruka.

Youichi finally pulled his face away and looked at Natsume.

Mikan stood up and walked towards the fire-caster with Youichi in her arms.

"You-chan, you came here because of Natsume-nii-chan, right?" Mikan asked gently. She tried to loosen his grip on her shirt. "Natsume-nii-chan is already here."

Again, Youichi refused to let her go.

She almost sighed in defeat when suddenly Youichi pointed his little forefinger to the Central Town pamphlet that was held by Koko. That was when she finally understood his silent message. Smiling, she said, "Alright, alright, we will meet again at Central Town. Is that what you want?"

Youichi looked at her and nodded his little head.

Before leaving the boy to Natsume, Mikan kissed his little forehead. "See you later, You-chan."

Everyone including Natsume was surprised when her shirt was pulled by Youichi's little hands, and he then planted a kiss on her cheek.

Mikan laughed in reply and ruffled his silver hair gently. After that she left, but not after giving Natsume a smile that was only noticed by Hotaru.

* * *

While looking at Jinno-sensei, she asked, "What is this?"

Oh, she knew what it was; she just wanted to know why.

"Principal Yukihira wants you to enjoy your time in Central Town," Jinno-sensei said with low voice.

Mikan rolled her eyes mentally. She shook her head. "Please tell him I don't need it. I have my own allowance, why should I get this _Privilege Card_?"

A Privilege Card was used to get things that you couldn't buy by simply using your allowance. Just like its name Privilege. It was only applied for rare or special items offered in Central Town, and this card was only owned by important persons in Alice Academy.

Jinno-sensei didn't bother to reply as he left her.

She sighed, but then she smiled. Her uncle really loved her like his own daughter as he stated the other day. She was happy to know that as she, too, loved him like a father. He was like the father that she would never have.

* * *

He was sure that he was alone, but he was wrong; he was not alone. He glared at the girl beside him.

"What are you laughing at?" he asked.

She giggled. "I never knew you would want a hair clip, Natsume."

Before he could fix that remark, she looked at the hair clip and smiled. "It's really cute. I'm sure your sister would like it."

He blinked and then looked at her in disbelief. He remembered that he had never told anyone about his little sister Aoi. The only person who knew about it was Ruka and of course, this damn academy, which had their hands on his little sister. If he could do something to look for his little sister, he would do it right away, but it would endanger everyone around him, including _her_. He was curious about how she knew about his little sister.

Again, before he could open his mouth, she said, "I'm just guessing that you have a sister, Natsume."

Mikan turned to him with a smile. She was telling him the truth. She had seen his eyes soften while looking at the hair clip. She was sure that it was not for a girlfriend but for a family member like a sister. She didn't know that she would really hit the bull's-eye. She guessed that she was just lucky to get it right.

Unknown to her, this ability to observe people was inherited from her only uncle Kazumi Yukihira.

* * *

The owner of store looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry; I can't sell this hair clip to you."

Mikan looked at the owner that was a middle-aged man. "Why can't I have it when I have enough money?"

"It's because this is a special item. If you wish to buy this, you must have a _Privilege Card_," the man explained politely as he had noticed that his customer was a _triple_ and had the ability to buy a lot of things in his shop. He was hoping that she would at least buy something from his shop, but what she wanted was really special, and he really regretted that he couldn't sell it to her.

"It can't be helped then…" she muttered to herself.

The owner looked at her with confused and curious eyes.

She looked around the shop before asking the owner to give her an ear. After he did it, she leaned closer.

"Keep _quiet_ about this, or I won't buy anything from this shop anymore," she whispered while thrusting the Privilege Card towards the owner.

Of course, the owner was surprised that an elementary student could have Privilege Card. His eyes widened when he scanned the card to know who the owner of the card was.

"Make it quick," she said demandingly, and the owner quickly processed the payment.

After he was finished, he gave her back the card without anyone looking together with the wrapped hair clip.

"Thank you for coming, Mikan Yukihira-sama," the owner said with a gleeful smile.

Mikan blinked before nodding her head. "You're welcome. I'll recommend my friends to come here later."

The owner smiled and bowed his head at her as she left the shop.

Mikan reminded herself that she _must_ see her uncle at the end of the day.

* * *

She left him speechless when she gave him a small package. He had guessed that she bought the hair clip, and he guessed it right. The hair clip was no longer in the display when he returned to the shop but in the package he was holding. He shook his head mentally then blinked. The hair clip was categorised as one of the special items that needed a Privilege Card to buy it. He narrowed his eyes as he pondered how she could have bought the hair clip as he was sure no one in the elementary section could have that card unless they had a close relationship with the higher ups. He shook his head again as he was thinking too much of it. He guessed that she might have paid a lot of money for the hair clip. He promised himself that he would repay her one day.

"Where were you, Natsume?" her cheery voice reached his ears.

He gazed at her. "None of your business."

She pouted, but she felt a tug on her shirt. After she gave the hair clip to Natsume, she met up with the rest of the group, and, of course, Youichi reached out for her again. She couldn't deny him, so he was in her arms.

"What is it, You-chan?" she smiled at the young boy, and he pointed his little finger to Howalon Shop. Without waiting for another minute, they went to the shop.

* * *

When she arrived at her uncle's office, Mikan exclaimed, "I want an explanation, Uncle Kazumi!"

"So-sorry," she apologised instantly as she saw her uncle was talking to someone. She didn't have any idea who the person was.

"Come here, Mikan," Kazumi said with a small smile.

She obeyed and approached her uncle. She looked at the person that stood beside her uncle.

"Mikan, meet your _Special Class_ teacher, Noda." Kazumi introduced the person beside him.

Noda smiled. "Nice to meet you, Sakura-san."

Returning his smile, she gave a small bow. "N-nice to meet you, too, Noda-sensei."

She had heard about her _Special Class_ teacher, but she had never met the teacher in person before.

"You've come at the right time," Kazumi said.

Confused, she tilted her head.

Kazumi smiled. "Noda-sensei will help you train your Alices, Mikan."

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	13. Chapter 13—The Trouble: Abducted

**Original Posting Date:** 25 Aug 2009

-:-

**Chapter 13**

-:-

"Well done, Mikan-san!" Noda praised as he looked at his pupil with pride. Just within a week, she could control her Nullification perfectly.

Panting softly, Mikan smiled at Noda-sensei. "Thank you, Noda-sensei."

Noda nodded in reply. "With more practice, you will be able to activate it longer."

Her vision started blurring as she felt like fainting. No doubt, she was tired from using her Alice.

Noda looked at her worriedly and asked, "Are you alright, Mikan-san?"

She nodded her head to assure him, but the fatigue was too much for her small body. The small spell she put on Noda-sensei's bracelet broke as he started fading. Before she could reach out for Noda-sensei, everything went black.

* * *

Mikan groaned tiredly. She then felt a big hand holding her small one. Slowly, she opened her eyes and was met with a pair of worried eyes.

"How are you feeling, Mikan?" the owner of the eyes asked.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds and opened it again. "I'm alright, Uncle Kazu."

Kazumi sighed in relief. He almost had a heart attack when he received the news that his little niece collapsed from exhaustion during her training session.

"She's really okay, right?" Kazumi asked the spectacled student beside him.

Mikan blinked her eyes as she just noticed there was a high school student standing beside her uncle.

"Don't worry. She's just tired, Principal Yukihira," he replied with a nod.

Mikan slowly sat up on her bed. She looked at her uncle, who looked at her with unreadable eyes. It suddenly hit her then. How could she forget that her uncle had no family other than her? She felt stupid for making him worry.

"I'm sorry…" Mikan muttered and hugged her uncle.

After a moment she heard him sigh and rubbed her small back. "It's okay as long as you're alright."

After they broke the hug, Mikan smiled at her uncle. She then looked over the spectacled high school student who stayed emotionless the entire time.

"Let me introduce you," Kazumi said and looked at the high school student. "This is Subaru Imai, the second representative of the school."

Subaru gave a small nod in greeting, and Mikan blinked. "Imai? Does that mean you're related to Hotaru?"

Silence filled the room.

Mikan laughed nervously. "Haa-haa… I'm sorry, I'm just—"

"You're right," Subaru stated.

Mikan looked at him in disbelief. "Eh? Really?"

"Hotaru is my little sister, but we've never met directly ever since she came here," Subaru explained shortly.

Mikan remained silent for a while before muttering, "I guess I have to keep another secret again."

Subaru gazed at her. "You don't have to if you don't want to."

She shook her head. "I can't do that because she might question how I know you, and keeping secrets is better than lying…"

Subaru looked at her with appreciation. "Thank you."

"Nice to meet you, Subaru-nii-san," Mikan said with a smile as she mentally apologised to Hotaru for the umpteenth time.

Subaru gave her a small smile. "Nice to meet you, too, Mikan."

"I've heard everything from Noda-sensei," Kazumi began and both looked at him. He smiled at his little niece. "You've successfully mastered your Nullification Alice."

"Do you wish to train your other Alices after this?" Kazumi asked after a moment.

Mikan pondered for a while before replying, "I wish to train my Teleportation Alice, Uncle Kazu."

"But I don't think Noda-sensei could train me since he disappeared again after our session ended…" she trailed off as she played with the hem of her uniform.

"You have someone more suitable to train your Teleportation Alice, Mikan," Kazumi said with a small smile.

Mikan looked at her uncle, bewildered.

Another high school student stepped forward as Kazumi said, "This is Shuichi Sakurano, the first representative of the school. Sakurano has the Teleportation Alice, too, so he's the right person to train you."

"Nice to meet you, Shuichi-nii-san." Mikan grinned at Shuichi.

Shuichi smiled at her. "Nice to meet you, too, Mikan."

-:-

"Where are you going, Mikan?" Shuichi asked after their short training ended. Usually, Mikan would stay after the training, but she didn't this time. He didn't have any problems with it though. She did quite well in a week's time. He was surprised at first, but then again, even during her training with Noda-sensei, she could master her Nullification Alice within a week. She could teleport herself to wherever she wanted now, but she still couldn't teleport too far. He was sure that with a lot of practice, she could teleport herself further than now.

"I'm going to the hospital, Shuichi-nii-san," Mikan replied shortly, still continuing on her way.

Shuichi chuckled. "Are you going to see Reo?"

Mikan stopped in her tracks and blinked. She turned around and looked at Shuichi with a confused face. "Reo? Who's that?"

Shuichi stopped chuckling. "Oh, I guess I was wrong."

He then told her about Reo, and Mikan nodded her head and pretended to care when she didn't.

"I see…" she commented after Shuichi's short explanation. She smiled. "I'm going to the hospital because Natsume's in the hospital."

"Kuro Neko," Shuichi muttered quietly, but Mikan heard him.

"Ne… Shuichi-nii-san, do you know anything about a man that dresses in black with a white mask?"

Shuichi's eyes widened slightly, and Mikan stared at him curiously. He then asked her, "Why do you ask?"

She hummed. "I just want to know why he's always looking for Natsume. I often see him talking to Natsume, and then Natsume would leave with him afterwards…" she trailed off.

She remembered the time she saw Natsume's angry face. Or was it more like hate? She didn't know why it bothered her so much, but she wanted to know who the man was and what he wanted from Natsume. She never asked Natsume about it as she always coincidentally saw them. From her observations, Natsume didn't like the man, so she was afraid to ask him about it.

"If you wish to know, he's the Dangerous Class's teacher Persona," Shuichi replied while looking at her reaction.

Her response was what he had predicted, calm but curious.

A moment later, she nodded her head. "I'll see you later, Shuichi-nii-san."

Shuichi replied with a nod, too. "See you later, Mikan."

* * *

Without knocking, Mikan opened the door. She was lucky that she got the access to the hospital without question as she had come to the hospital with Jinno-sensei. She smiled when she saw the sleeping boy on the bed. She approached him quietly. When she was at his side, she leaned down to his ears.

"Natsume…" she whispered softly.

He opened his eyes slowly and looked at the brunette girl's eyes.

"I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked quietly.

He remained silent and closed his eyes again. After a moment of silence, he felt her hand on his hair. It'd been a while since she touched his hair. He wouldn't admit it to her that he really liked it.

"What are you doing here?" He opened his eyes. To his dismay, she pulled back her hand.

"To see you, of course. I heard from Ruka-pyon that you're in the hospital. Are you alright, Natsume?" she asked with worried eyes.

He turned his back to her. "I'm alright; you can go now."

She pouted at his back. "Will you please not act like that, Natsume? I'm really worried about you."

When she was about to touch his shoulder, she was rudely pulled away from him. She let out a surprised shriek, and luckily, it was heard by Natsume.

Everything happened so fast. Just after he turned around, he saw her free hand trying to reach him before she was drugged by a man that kept her from struggling. His eyes widened in shock and horror. Before he could reach out to her, he was drugged, too. He muttered her name before everything went black.

* * *

She didn't want to help_ her_, but she had no choice. Natsume was more important than _her_.

_While walking around the hospital, she was hoping that she could meet Reo and have his autograph and his picture_,_ too. Just then, she saw Reo and a few guards at Natsume's room, she stopped walking. She didn't dare to visit Natsume, so she decided that she might peek from the window. She was going to use this chance to see Reo closely, but what greeted her eyes shocked her. She saw Mikan, who was struggling to break free from a guard_,_ limp by some kind of drug, and Natsume_, _too_,_ was drugged by Reo. By Reo! She couldn't believe it, but she was sure she wasn't dreaming._

She chased after the limo, but then, she was squeezed by the crowd that tried to look at Reo. She desperately tried to break through the crowd and saw Hotaru.

"Imai-san! Imai-san!" she shouted with all her might.

Hotaru, who finally noticed her, looked at her with a dumb look.

"Stop the limo! Natsume and Sakura were kidnapped by Reo. Hurry!" she exclaimed in a panic.

Hotaru looked at the limo and Sumire again. When Sumire was finally at her side, Hotaru looked at her frightened face for a moment. She then thrust her communicator to her and used her Baka Gun to shoot the crowd to make a path for her.

"Go!" Hotaru said and pushed her towards the gate.

Sumire quickly ran, chasing the limo that was leaving the academy.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	14. Chapter 14—The Trouble: Escape

**Original Posting Date:** 27 Aug 2009

-:-

**Chapter 14**

-:-

Ruka nervously began, "Imai-san, you don't—"

"I don't think Shouda would joke about them being kidnapped," Hotaru said as she picked up Mikan's medals that were lying on the floor.

"Mikan…" she muttered to herself. After helping Sumire during her attempt to chase after Reo's limo without being caught by the academy, she decided that she should check Natsume's room at the hospital. She didn't know what she felt when she saw the abandoned medals. She didn't know why Reo kidnapped Mikan.

_Does it have to do with Hyuuga?_ She asked herself. She didn't know the details about Natsume, but she knew her best friend didn't have any problems with anyone. No one would have problems with her _idiotic_ best friend. She blinked. Idiotic? No, her best friend was not an idiot, not anymore. She didn't know since when Mikan became more intelligent. No, it was more like she became less naïve and rash. She never got herself into trouble like she used to. It was proven from her star level that increased recently. How? How come she had never realised this fact sooner? She pondered if her best friend was hiding something from her. Mentally, she shook her head. Her best friend could never keep a secret from her, at least not for long. She knew this habit of hers perfectly. For minutes, she didn't realise that she had stood frozen with her mind running wild.

"Hotaru!"

She blinked as she was cut off from her train of thoughts. She glared at the blond boy that interrupted her. "What?"

Ruka was taken by surprise as she didn't object to him calling her by her given name. Realising this fact, he blushed. He didn't realise that his rabbit was looking at him strangely.

Hotaru, who saw his blushing face asked, "What are you thinking, Ruka?"

The fireworks in the background fired beautifully as he blushed redder. He quickly replied, "N-n-nothing!"

The redness of his face couldn't be compared with a steamed crab as it was ten times brighter and redder. Her intense eyes that stared at him also didn't help the situation. He quickly looked away from her. He shook his head to clear his mind as it was not the time to be happy or embarrassed. Again, he asked himself why his heart throbbed madly just by looking at her amethyst eyes.

"I'm just wondering what we should do now," he said after calming down, but then panic slowly seeped his body. He wouldn't admit to anyone that Mikan was as important to him as Natsume. Knowing both of them being kidnapped was enough to make him crazy with fear and panic. It was not that he didn't trust Natsume's ability to protect himself and Mikan, but he knew Natsume had not been feeling well for the past few days, and it wouldn't do well for the current situation.

"Where are you going, Hotaru?" he asked when he saw Hotaru walk away from him.

"Come with me, Ruka," she replied, still continuing on her way to the Faculty Room, and he quickly ran after her.

* * *

_Smell of tide… Smell of rusted iron… And someone's… breath…_ Mikan slowly opened her eyes. She gasped silently as she immediately met with Natsume's face that was an inch away from her. She then looked at him worriedly as he looked like he was in so much pain. It was then she remembered what happened to her. She was drugged by someone, and obviously brought here. From her observation, they were in a warehouse. She scanned her surroundings quietly and gasped when she saw Sumire, who was lying beside her. She blinked. What she was doing here?

"Permy… Permy…" she hissed quietly.

Sumire slowly opened her eyes and they widened in seconds. Realising that she was tied, she shut her mouth so that she would not shriek loudly.

"What are you doing here, Permy?" Mikan asked as quietly as possible.

Sumire glared at her and hissed, "Don't think I'm doing this to save you, Sakura. I'm doing this for Natsume!"

_Obviously,_ Mikan thought, rolling her eyes mentally.

Both were startled when they heard Reo's voice. "Hey, did the brats wake up?"

Hearing the footsteps that were approaching them, Mikan and Sumire quickly pretended to be asleep.

"Not yet."

Both silently listened to them.

"I made contact with the organization."

"What did they say?" Reo asked.

"Reo-san's action today was a lack of consideration. Therefore, the others were quite angry."

"That's what I told you, Reo-san. Our mission was only to research the school's present state."

"What do they mean by lack of consideration? This was a chance in a million. They'd have done the same if they had been in the same situation," Reo commented.

"What did the boss say?" he asked.

"He was not available when I contacted them."

"If he hears we got our hands on the Black Cat… I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of face he will make!" Reo said.

* * *

Mikan shook her head mentally as she tried to push away the lies from Reo's mouth.

_"He's a dark operative of the shadows of Alice Academy…"_

_"He turned his entire home town into a sea of fire in just one night…"_

_Think, Mikan. Think!_ She shut her eyes tightly. Opening her eyes, she muttered, "Think of a way to get out."

"How?"

Mikan blinked. She had totally forgotten that Sumire was with her. She was looking at her with an expression that told her that she would cooperate with her. She was surprised that she would willingly agree with her. They had never come into terms since the day she was announced as _double_ and, recently, _triple_. She quietly said, "I don't know… They said tonight at two, a smuggling boat was coming then… all of us… will be in even more trouble."

Sumire remained silent then Mikan quietly continued, "Don't know how many hours are left, but… we must think a way to escape from here!"

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	15. Chapter 15—The Trouble: Free

**Original Posting Date:** 28 Aug 2009

-:-

**Chapter 15**

-:-

Kazumi gripped the hand of the chair he was sitting in as he spoke, "Tell me."

His voice was calm, but his mind was in a total panic. He really couldn't believe that his little niece was kidnapped by Reo until Jinno-sensei told him an hour ago that Hotaru Imai and Ruka Nogi had confirmed his little niece's disappearance together with Kuro Neko.

"I'm sorry, Principal Yukihira. We still can't find her even now," Jinno-sensei reported.

Kazumi closed his eyes for a moment before saying, "Report to me immediately when you find her."

"Understood," Jinno-sensei said as he bowed and left him alone. He knew that Principal Yukihira was _really_ worried about his niece.

"Mikan…" Kazumi muttered as he tried to calm his mind. He had the urge to get out of the academy right away and search for his little niece himself. If something happened to her, he didn't know what he might do. He didn't want to lose another family member. Knowing she was the only family he had, his worry had gone up tenfold. She was like the daughter he would never have, and he couldn't bear to lose her. He shook his head mentally, and told himself that she would be just fine because she had finally mastered her two Alices.

* * *

Mikan stared at Sumire before muttering, "I know it's not the time, but I've been wondering… how you could get yourself caught by these people…"

A vein formed on Sumire's forehead as she huffed silently. "I told you… It's not that I wanted to be caught by them."

Mikan blinked. "So?"

"They caught me by surprise when I thought the limo had disappeared. The next thing I know was I was drugged and ended up here with _you_," Sumire replied sarcastically.

"Permy, do you really hate me that much?" Mikan pondered.

Silence engulfed them.

Sumire remained silent. To be honest, she didn't hate her that much. She just envied her for being so close to Natsume. She was a new girl that suddenly came and could get Natsume's attention immediately. Wouldn't you get annoyed by it? To sum it all up, the spirit manipulator Youichi preferred the new girl to her. Just thinking about it made her want to throw things to release her annoyance.

After a moment of silence, Sumire quietly spoke, "There are two exits to this warehouse. I tried to search around the warehouse with my Alice, but for some reason my power just won't work…"

Mikan knew that Sumire was avoiding her question, so she sighed inwardly and let Sumire continue, "I think that probably among Reo's companions, there must be a Barrier Maker Alice…"

Mikan hummed. "If it's because of the barrier that we cannot use our Alices and the school can't find us here, we must find a way to escape before the smuggling boat arrives…"

Because of the soft voices around him, Natsume slowly opened his eyes and met with Mikan's back. He weakly muttered, "Mikan…"

Mikan, who heard him, quickly but quietly turned around and looked at him.

"Natsume…" She worriedly asked him, "Are you alright?"

Sumire was annoyed as she couldn't talk to Natsume because of Mikan who was blocking her. She quietly hissed, "Sakura! No time for talking!"

Mikan rolled her eyes mentally and whispered to Natsume, "Please don't push yourself too hard, Natsume. Sumire and I will think of a way to escape from here."

Natsume didn't bother to reply as he was too tired because of the medicine and his bad health. Mikan turned to look at Sumire and then saw…

"Permy, what's that panda you have on your ears?" Mikan asked as she just noticed it now.

Sumire turned silent.

Meanwhile…

"To think that Reo was a traitor…"

"This is a serious situation. This means that Organization Z is pulling the strings behind this incident."

_Panda… Panda… Panda no dance…_

Everyone in the faculty room turned to Hotaru as she answered the call, "Hotaru speaking."

_"Imai?"_

"Shouda? You have finally turned the switch on," Hotaru said, surprising everyone.

* * *

Mikan sighed in relief when she heard Hotaru's voice.

_"Hello, Mikan-chan? It's me, can you hear me?"_

Mikan tried to hold her laughter as she saw Sumire's angry face. Narumi-sensei didn't even bother to greet her first.

_My bad, Permy_, Mikan thought, and she quietly replied, "Narumi-sensei, I can hear you."

_"I heard most of the story from Imai-san. Must be tough on you three… Are the three of you alright?"_

Mikan pondered for a while before replying, "Yes. We're in some kind of warehouse on a port somewhere. Natsume's condition is pretty bad. There's a barrier around here, so we can't use our Alices. Right now, we're pretending to be unconscious, and we're still tied up with rope."

_I haven't tried to activate my Alice though,_ Mikan thought as she wasn't sure if she could break the barrier around them with her Nullification or not.

_"Listen carefully, Mikan-chan. All three of you continue pretending to be unconscious. Leave your mike on so we can hear your situation… While we're trying to pin point your position, the ropes tying up your arms and legs… Try by your own strength to tear or untie them. If it's impossible, this is not a good plan but… get Natsume to try his best and burn the ropes. I know it's a huge burden on his weakened body, but just a little fire is enough because if it's too big, the barrier will dissolve and the enemy will found out."_

Right after that, Natsume used his fire and helped Mikan.

Mikan glanced at Natsume worriedly as he was panting and sweating a lot. _He looks even more in pain than earlier._

_"Once you've untied the ropes, until you have an absolute chance of escaping, continue pretending to be tied up. There are also two important things. As much as you can, you must not let the enemy find out what your Alices are. If the enemy finds out your Alice, it will be easier for them to cope with it, and we will mostly be at a disadvantage… Also another thing, and this is the most important. Whatever you do, do not listen to Reo's voice. If you do listen—"_

Mikan gulped. The communicator was taken by Reo while she was helping Sumire.

"I see… It was a transmitter." Reo turned to look at Natsume. "With that weakened body… you're still capable of swaying Shidou's barrier; you really are something. Well, with the rebound of using your Alice, you probably don't have any power or energy left though… "

He stared at the transmitter. "It's been a long time, Naru-senpai. Sorry for detaining your cute students."

_"Reo…"_

"Well, I said detaining but… there will never be a day when I return them."

_"Reo… you… why are you part of the anti__-__establishment Organization Z…?"_

"Surprised? But I'm even more surprised. Someone like you… Why did you settle for becoming a dog of the school? If anything, I thought… that you were the type of person to go against Alice Academy and switch sides."

_"Reo, you—"_

Reo threw the communicator away and stared at them.

"Shall we tie them up again?"

"No. Shidou, loosen your barrier around here," Reo said.

"That's…"

"Just do it. We have to teach them that they can't resist, even untied, and I have to make them reveal their Alices, too." Reo smirked.

_My chance,_ Mikan thought as she concentrated on her Nullification Alice and within seconds, an unseen barrier slowly formed around her, Natsume and Sumire.

Reo loosened his piercing. "Usually it's being controlled by my piercing, so you don't realise it. But…you probably already know my Alice is Voice Pheromone. For the organization I mainly use this Alice for brainwashing."

"What's your Alice?" Reo asked while looking at Sumire. Before Sumire could open her mouth to reply him, Mikan's barrier was completed as it wrapped around them securely. After a moment Sumire blinked in confusion as the desire to tell Reo her Alice was gone instantly. She was confused why she wasn't affected by Reo's Alice.

Reo barely dodged a piece of metal that Natsume threw at him. He smirked at Natsume. "You still have enough power to retaliate? Was this intended to protect these two?"

He then approached Natsume and pulled his left arm. "As you wish, I'll change my target! As much as possible, I was just thinking of making you harmless with my Alice before giving you away to the boss. Anyways, you kids cannot escape from here… Those two are going abroad to be sold. You will luckily become part of the organization. It's no good resisting even if you do escape from here, you'll simply go back to doing dirty work for the school; that's your speciality right? Then what's the difference between that and entering Organization Z? Organization Z is made of a bunch of people like you who hate the school."

With all his might, Natsume slapped Reo's hand away from him. He was panting as he was still tired like hell, but he couldn't let himself pass out at a time like this. He was determined to stay awake to protect _her _even in his weakened state.

Unknown to him, he was the one that was being protected.

Reo and the other members were shocked and confused. "After hearing so much of Reo-san's voice, still nothing…?"

Finally, Reo noticed Mikan, who was strangely panting. Natsume and Sumire, who realised this, too, became confused because just now she was perfectly fine.

With wide eyes Reo spoke, "You… have the Nullification…?"

Natsume's eyes widened as he just realised that Mikan had created a nullification barrier around them so he and Sumire wouldn't be affected by Reo's Alice.

Mikan remained impassive even though her Alice was found out. She was having a hard time keeping her nullification barrier intact.

Reo held her chin. "This face… does look like _that woman_…"

_That woman…? Does he mean… Okaa-san?_ Mikan thought in confusion.

She had seen her mother's picture and, of course, her father's picture, too, with the help of her uncle. She had to admit that she and her mother did resemble each other a lot. Though, why did Reo mention her mother?

As Reo walked away from them, he fixed his piercing again. "Hey, check the data right now. Check thoroughly through everything from around ten years ago about _that woman_. Other than the _black cat_… this may be an unexpected discovery."

Reo was careless as he didn't ask Shidou to tighten his barrier again. Either way, Mikan was pleased. This way, it would be easier for her to activate her Alice longer even though it was still hard. Panting softly, she quietly said, "Permy… with my barrier, you will be able to use your Alice… tell me the direction and the distance of a place that is safe from this warehouse…"

He was tired, but he was worried about her. However, he couldn't voice his worries when Sumire was around. He unconsciously whispered, "Mikan…"

No one heard him but Mikan. She gazed at him and gave him a weak smile. She then glanced at Sumire, who looked at her with uncertainty. "Hurry… I can't hold my barrier for much longer…"

Without any more questions or hesitation, Sumire used her Alice. After a moment she quietly told her, "South direction… exactly 2 km ahead…"

"Good grief," Mikan muttered under her breath.

Natsume and Sumire stared at her curiously as they didn't know what she meant by that.

_Can I do it or not?_ Mikan thought silently. She could teleport herself without a problem within that range. The problem was that she had never tried to teleport a person, or two in this case. She was debating whether she could do it or not. She closed her eyes as her energy was draining faster than usual. She knew it was because she activated her Alice while resisting Shidou's barrier. It couldn't be helped. She was only a kid who just mastered her Alice within weeks, not years. But, her desires to protect those who were close to her ensured her that she _will_ and _can_ do it.

"Don't tell anyone about this, especially Hotaru… I haven't told her anything about it yet…" Mikan mumbled with closed eyes.

Natsume stared at Mikan curiously as Sumire quietly asked her, "What are you talking about, Sakura?"

"You will know soon…"

Before Sumire could ask again, Mikan opened her eyes and hushed her with a low voice. Strangely, she obeyed her and didn't ask any more questions.

"I will leave the rest to both of you…" Mikan smiled at them.

Sumire was utterly and helplessly clueless about what she was talking about.

Mikan smiled when she realised no one was looking at them. After gathering her remaining energy, she quickly embraced the two together so that both didn't have the time to be surprised as she said, "Brace yourselves…"

In split seconds, the three of them were teleported to the place where Sumire had told Mikan.

Two groaning voices could be heard throughout the place. One was deep, and the other was loud. The groaning voices stopped instantly when both opened their eyes and realised that they were no longer in the warehouse they were in before. Sumire gasped in horror when she saw Mikan, who was lying on the dirty floor not far from them, unconscious.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	16. Chapter 16—Announcement: Alices

**Original Posting Date:** 08 Sep 2009

-:-

**Chapter 16**

-:-

A week had passed since his little niece was found. He was glad that they had found her, but she still stayed unconscious since then.

_He stood up immediately when Jinno-sensei informed him that Mikan was found and on the way back to the academy. He desperately wanted to wait for his little niece at the gate_, _but that would endanger her. He had no desire to deal with Principal Kuonji right now. At least, he needed to ensure Mikan's safety until she graduate__d__ from the elementary. He closed his eyes and slowly sat down again. He gazed at Jinno-sensei. "Thank you. I believe you will arrange everything for me afterwards."_

_"Definitely, Principal Yukihira," Jinno-sensei replied with a nod._

He wanted to stay with her the entire time, but he couldn't. He could only stay with her at night as during the day her friends would come and stay with her until afternoon. Still, he needed to be careful as sometimes during the night, _Kuro Neko_ would come here alone. From his observations, the boy held deep feelings for his niece. He took a mental note to check how much the boy cared for his niece. If the boy really cared for his niece, he might trust the boy to take care of his niece until they graduate from the elementary division.

"Mikan…" he muttered while holding her little hand. He gazed at her intently when he finally felt movement of her hand.

"Otou-san…" Mikan muttered quietly.

His eyes widened in surprise. He shook his head mentally. "Mikan, can you hear me?"

After she opened her eyes and blinked several times, she gasped and sat up instantly.

"W-where am I?" she asked with closed eyes as she tried to remember what happened to her.

"You're in the hospital, Mikan."

Mikan snapped her eyes open as they darted to the owner of the voice. "Uncle Kazumi!"

She sighed in relief then blinked. "How? What happened? I lost my con—"

She was stopped by her uncle hugging her suddenly. Slowly, she closed her eyes and hugged her uncle back. She quietly apologised, "I'm sorry…"

For the second time, she had made him worried. She was lucky that this time she could get away from Reo and back to the academy safely.

"I'm glad you're alright, Mikan," Kazumi said while hugging his little niece's small form. After a moment, he released her.

"I'm sorry for making you worry…" She looked up at her uncle.

He patted her little head and then told her everything. After she lost her conscious, the rescue team came in time to save them. They failed to catch Reo though. After the incident, they were brought back to the academy, and she had stayed unconscious for a week.

"I'm sorry…" Mikan whispered.

Kazumi gazed at her. "Why are you apologising?"

"I promised that I'd keep my other Alice a secret, but…" she trailed off, unsure about what to say.

"You don't have to worry about it." Kazumi smiled.

Mikan looked up at her uncle, puzzled.

"Your partner made up a good story for you."

"Eh?" Mikan became even more confused.

Kazumi sat down on the chair again and told her that Natsume had told them that they didn't have any idea about what had happened. They only knew that when she hugged them, they were not in same warehouse anymore.

"When you're ready to attend your classes, Narumi-sensei will formally announce that you have two Alices. Therefore, you're no longer _triple_ but _special_," Kazumi informed with a smile.

Mikan clamped her hands over her mouth in disbelief. She smiled at her uncle. "Tell me that I'm not dreaming!"

Kazumi chuckled and patted her head. "No, you're not."

She hugged her uncle immediately. She was glad that she was finally _special_, and she would be able to stay on the same floor with Natsume. She shook her head mentally to clear her mind. It was not the right time to think about that.

"Thank you for advising me about my Alices, Uncle Kazumi," she thanked her uncle after breaking the hug.

"I did nothing. You should thank Noda-sensei and Sakurano instead."

"Of course, but it was because of you, Uncle Kazumi, that I could master my Alices."

Kazumi smiled at his little niece. "You're welcome, Mikan."

"Uncle Kazumi, there's something that I wish to ask you…" she began while looking at her uncle with a serious expression.

Both looked at each other until Kazumi nodded, agreeing to hear her out.

"You see… when I was still held captive by Reo. I heard something…" She bit her lips as she was unsure of how to approach the subject. It had been months since she asked her uncle about her parents. When she looked up at her uncle, her uncle smiled, encouraging her to continue. She looked down at her hands. "Reo mentioned something about how I look a lot like someone…"

His expression turned hard.

"I was wondering; is he talking about Okaa-san?" she asked and looked up at her uncle again.

He closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he sighed. He knew that sooner or later he would have to tell his niece the truth. The truth of how her father died. The truth of why her mother ran away from the academy. But… He gazed at his little niece's eyes. "For your father, I wish to protect you from everything that might try to harm you. I know you want to know the truth of how your father died and then about your mother, but until you graduate from the elementary division, I can't tell you anything about it…"

Mikan felt like she wanted to cry, but she knew that her uncle was only trying to protect her. What she didn't know was protecting her from what? She really wanted to know what happened to her parents. She gripped the blanket that was covering her.

"But, then again, I can introduce you to someone that will help you learn about your mother," he continued with a small smile.

She looked up at her uncle instantly. "Who?"

"I'll talk to the person first, but now, you should take your rest. It's late," he stated.

It was true as she had regained consciousness after midnight. She nodded with a smile. "I understand."

She lay down again, and he helped her with the blanket. She closed her eyes and slowly fell into a slumber.

When he was sure that she was asleep, he leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. "Good night, Mikan… My little daughter…"

The last part was barely heard as he did it purposely, so she wouldn't be able to hear it. Even though she knew that he treated her like his own daughter, he had never tried to call her as his own. He didn't know whether she had realised it or not that the Privilege Card he gave her the other day through Jinno-sensei was actually named as Mikan Yukihira, not Mikan Sakura.

Unknown to him, Mikan had realised it. She just forgot to ask him about it because she, too, didn't really mind being addressed as Yukihira.

He smiled down at his niece for the last time before leaving the room.

When the door was closed with a soft click, her lips tugged upward as she muttered, "Good night… Otou-san…"

-:-

Heavy tension filled the room. She shifted uncomfortably on her seat as she looked at her best friend who had turned her back to her. She had explained to her best friend that a few weeks ago, she had discovered that she had another Alice Teleportation. After she found out about it, she trained herself to use it.

Of course, this story was not totally a lie. It was true about how she had discovered her other Alice a few weeks ago, but it was her uncle who told her about it. And it was also true about how she trained herself to use it but only with the help of Shuichi-nii-san. All in all, she was half-lying to her best friend. Keeping secrets from her best friend was enough torture for her, but she could not afford to let her best friend know about her relationship with her uncle and also her relationship with Shuichi-nii-san, which might lead to her knowing about Subaru-nii-san, her best friend's older brother.

She told herself that she might turn crazy from keeping too many secrets from her best friend. But then, she didn't want to endanger anyone, especially those who were close to her. From what her uncle told her yesterday about her parents, she was sure that her uncle was trying to protect her from someone. And that someone would not hesitate to harm her friends to hurt her. Even though she was dying to know about what happened to her parents, she would not disobey her uncle, the only _family_ she had.

"Hotaru… are you angry with me?" Mikan asked as she carefully watched her best friend's reaction.

"Are there any other secrets that you are keeping from me?" Hotaru asked after a moment.

Mikan sighed. "No. I have no more secrets."

Hotaru turned around and gazed at her. "Come here, baka."

Mikan smiled and quickly hugged her best friend.

"Don't make people worry about you, baka." Hotaru hugged her back.

Mikan gave a small laugh. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Narumi-sensei smiled at the class after his story about how Mikan found out about her other Alice. "So, starting today, Mikan Sakura will be _special_ as she has two Alices."

It was the same story Mikan had told Hotaru. Early in the morning, she had discussed with Jinno-sensei about how she would tell everyone about her Teleportation Alice. Lying would not be the best option, so she had come up with that story. Jinno-sensei approved of her story and asked her to talk to Narumi-sensei since he was her homeroom teacher.

"Whoa…"

"Sakura has two Alices…"

"Sakura-san, it's amazing that you have two Alices."

Mikan only smiled at them in reply. She scanned the classroom and found that Natsume was not around. She pondered if he was still in the hospital. She would look for him later, she decided. When her eyes met with a pair of green eyes, she smiled. She then walked towards the owner of the eyes. Of course, the girl pretended she didn't notice her.

"Arigatou, Permy." Mikan smiled at her.

"I don't need your thanks. After all, it was you who helped us escape from Reo." Sumire huffed. Deep down in her heart, she knew what Mikan thanked her for was not about how they successfully escaped from Reo, but it was about keeping her other Alice from everyone before the announcement.

Unknown to her, they became good friends because of this.

* * *

Mikan rubbed her chest after the shock. "It's bad for my heart if you do that again, Natsume."

When she was standing in front of her new room, Natsume appeared right behind her without a sound. She thought that she might have had a heart attack because of this. Well, even though it surprised her, she was glad that she didn't need to look for him after checking her new room.

"Hn," he grunted in reply.

She shook her head and told herself that she was used to his "Hn." She unlocked the door before her, turned on the light and put a smile on her face. Finally, she had a room like Natsume's. Moreover, his room was right beside hers. She blushed upon the thought but quickly shook her head mentally and walked into the room with Natsume, who followed her from behind. She didn't bother to close the door as it was closed and locked by him.

"How are you feeling, Natsume?" she asked while opening the door of her bedroom. He still followed her to her bedroom when she went in. It was rude to walk into a girl's bedroom without permission, but she was fine with it as she also had been to his bedroom and even slept on his bed. She opened the glass door of her balcony and looked at the scenery before her eyes in awe. She absolutely liked her new room. She quickly turned around when she heard a small creak on her queen-sized bed. She smiled when she saw it was Natsume, who was lying on her bed. She approached him and sat at the bedside.

"Hey…" she called out softly as his eyes were closed. She smiled as she guessed that he might still be tired from the incident.

Unknown to her, it was true that he was tired, but it was from different reasons. A day after he recovered, he was asked to do a mission again, and he just came back. He happened to meet Ruka on his way back to his room. He told him that Mikan had finally regained consciousness and was announced as _special_ for having two Alices. His silent prayer was heard by the gods when he met her while she was checking her new room.

"Have a good rest, Natsume…" she whispered when she didn't get any responses from him. She got up from her bed and left him after closing the door gently. Leaning on her bedroom door, she smiled to herself. Her life was getting complicated, but she was definitely sure that she would be alright because of him.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	17. Chapter 17—Peck: Sleeping Prince

**Original Posting Date:** 13 Sep 2009

-:-

**Chapter 17**

-:-

She couldn't believe this. No, she totally couldn't believe this. What had possessed her? A pervert? No, if she agreed, then she was a pervert herself. Remembering her foolish action, she blushed scarlet. She was sure that she was not going to live with this.

_A few hours after she arranged her new room, she went back to her bedroom again. She was curious. She was _only_ curious. Looking at his sleeping face, she couldn't help but stare at him. It was then that she looked at his lips. She was wondering how those lips of his would feel on hers. She blushed scarlet upon the thought. She couldn't believe that she would think something like that! She gulped nervously. She looked left and right to make sure no one was looking. She knew that she was acting stupidly. She sighed silently. Telling her mind that no one would know about this but herself, she gathered her courage and leaned down to peck his lips. After that she quickly but quietly ran away from her own room._

_Unknown to her, Natsume also did the same thing when she was unconscious at the end of her challenge. All in all, they were even now._

_Baka Mikan, baka Mikan, baka Mikan, _she chanted continuously while holding her spatula. Oh, yeah, she was _trying_ to make a dinner at the moment. Too busy with her own thoughts, she didn't realise that Natsume, who was wide awake, was staring at her in amusement.

"What are you doing?"

Her chanting stopped. Her heart stopped for a moment before beating furiously again. She was really sure she would have a heart attack because of this. She put her spatula on the counter then turned around to look at him. Her nervousness was gone instantly when she saw his eyes filled with amusement.

"Do you find something amusing?" she asked with a slightly annoyed tone.

He raised an eyebrow. "No."

After staring at each other for a good minute, he chuckled, and she could only stare at him. It was rare to see him this happy. She then smiled. She was glad that she could make him happy. When he stopped chuckling, a small smile emerged on his handsome face, and he approached her. She didn't move when he stood right in front of her. They stared at each other as he slowly leaned down until his forehead touched hers. With his eyes closed, he wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her. She, too, had her eyes closed and hugged him back.

"I'm sorry for making you worry…" she muttered against his chest, and he hugged her tighter.

He wouldn't admit to her that he almost had a heart attack when he saw her lying on the dirty floor, unmoving. He always thought that he was the one that should protect her, but he was the one that was being protected.

"Natsume… You should come with me tomorrow." She looked up at him after she broke the hug.

He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

"The Special Class will begin preparations for the Culture Festival tomorrow," she stated with a pout.

He looked away from her as he just remembered that thing.

"Natsume!" She pouted even more.

Looking back at her, he nonchalantly said, "You're so loud."

She giggled in reply because she knew he remembered his promise.

-:-

The silence could suffocate them all. He did not care though as he was sure that his arrival was expected. He sat down on one of the vacant seats casually as he waited for one of them to say something. It was then that Tsubasa Andou approached him.

"Hey, Mikan told us about you," Tsubasa started.

Natsume only spared him a sideways glance before looking away, and everyone stopped doing their own work.

"I don't know why you agreed to join our class, but please remember this. We love Mikan, and we will do anything to make her happy."

Natsume gazed at Tsubasa before taking out his manga. "I know."

"Welcome to our class then." Tsubasa grinned.

Right after that, Mikan came. "Morning!"

"Good morning, Chibi!" Tsubasa replied with a smile.

She was surprised when she saw Natsume. "Natsume! Since when?"

"He just arrived here, Chibi!" Again, Tsubasa replied.

Mikan hummed, and suddenly Misaki pulled her away from them.

"Mikan-chan, I need to ask you," Misaki whispered quietly while looking at the two boys, or more precisely at Natsume.

"Did you tell anyone else that your partner will join our class?" Misaki asked with curious eyes.

Mikan blinked before answering, "No, I didn't tell anyone about it. Why do you ask?"

"That's good then. Just keep it that way," Misaki replied before leaving her alone.

Confused, Mikan looked at Misaki and muttered, "What was that?"

_"Since you agreed to become my slave, you must obey me and not to tell anyone that I joined your class," he said demandingly._

_"Why is that? Don't you want to let Ruka-pyon know about this?" she asked back._

_He gazed at her. "If you can't obey me, then I refuse to join your class."_

_"Hey! I'm just asking you why I can't tell anyone about this." She pouted._

_He leaned against the tree. "Did you forget what I told you, to stay away from me?"_

_She bit her lips. Of course, she remembered. She really didn't know why he always said the same thing. Still, she sighed in defeat and agreed, "Alright. I won't tell anyone about this…"_

And now, Misaki-senpai demanded the same thing again. What was the problem? Did it have to do with the Dangerous Class's teacher? She thought absentmindedly. Her wondering was stopped by Noda-sensei, who suddenly appeared before her.

"Noda-sensei!" Mikan greeted with a smile.

Noda-sensei smiled back. "Ah, Mikan-san."

"What? You already know our class teacher Nodacchi, Chibi?" Tsubasa said in surprise.

Mikan looked at Noda-sensei in confusion. "Nodacchi?"

"Nodacchi is my nickname here, Mikan-san." Noda-sensei let out a small laugh.

Everyone including Natsume finally noticed how he called Mikan's name.

"If it's not a trouble, could you help me again, Mikan-san?" Noda-sensei requested.

Mikan nodded with a smile. "Of course, I know you don't like to appear and disappear all the time."

She concentrated on her Nullification Alice and created an unseen barrier around Noda-sensei's limitation device. When she blinked, the barrier was completed, and she nodded with a smile. "Done!"

"Whoa, you sure have mastered your Nullification Alice, Chibi," Tsubasa praised.

Mikan smiled sheepishly. "Not without Noda-sensei, who trained me."

"Train you?" Tsubasa looked at Mikan curiously.

Mikan laughed. "Yeah. A few weeks ago, I ran into Noda-sensei after his time travelling and asked him to train me."

She replied with a casual face, but in truth, she started sweating inwardly. She mentally slapped herself for being stupid. She had forgotten that no one knew that she and Noda-sensei had met before. She was lucky that she could come up with a good story in such a short time. She prayed that Noda-sensei would follow her lead.

"That's right," Noda-sensei replied with a small smile while looking at Mikan.

She inwardly thanked her sensei for agreeing with her story. It would only mean trouble if the truth was out.

"Oh, yeah, we heard you have another Alice, Mikan-chan," Misaki prompted.

Mikan nodded. "Teleportation Alice. Because of this Alice, we could escape from Reo."

Of course, everyone knew about that incident. Tsubasa patted her head. "We are glad that you're alright, Chibi."

Mikan smiled in reply.

"Come to think of it, Narumi-sensei did mention about me being transferred to another ability class…" she said more to herself than anyone.

Mikan didn't know that everyone had stopped what they were doing and looked at her worriedly, including Natsume. His face remained impassive, but his crimson eyes were filled with great worry.

"Sakura."

Everyone's eyes darted to Jinno-sensei, who appeared before the door.

Mikan quickly stood up. "Coming, Sensei."

"Tsubasa-senpai, I'll be right back." Mikan smiled at Tsubasa.

He nodded in reply. "We'll wait for you, Chibi."

She flashed a smile at Natsume before leaving the room.

* * *

Mikan ran to her uncle and hugged him. "Uncle Kazumi!"

Kazumi patted her head. "How's your day, Mikan?"

"Wonderful," she replied with a smile.

He smiled back at her. "Glad to hear that. So, do you like your new room?"

"Yes. I like it very much. Thank you, Uncle Kazumi," she replied with a nod.

After they broke the hug, she asked, "So, why did you call me?"

"I'm sure that you have already heard from Narumi-sensei that you will be transferred to a new class," Kazumi began slowly.

She nodded her head in confirmation. "Hai."

"Usually, you will be transferred to the Dangerous Class since you have two Alices."

Her face slowly turned pale. "D-Dangerous Class?"

"Don't worry. You won't be transferred to that class unless you tell everyone about your other Alices."

She released the breath she unintentionally held. "Okay…"

"Your new class will be the Predisposition Class."

"Predisposition means…" she muttered as she turned to Jinno-sensei.

She received a small nod from him, and she smiled. "Wow!"

"Then, what about my Special Class?" she asked.

Kazumi sighed softly and looked at his little niece apologetically. "I'm afraid you won't be able to stay in that class anymore."

Before she could open her mouth, Kazumi continued, "But, since you have two types of Alices, you will have both as your ability classes, but in general you will be in Predisposition Class."

"Thank you so much, Uncle Kazumi!" Mikan hugged her uncle as she was happy with the decision.

He hugged her back and replied, "You're welcome, Mikan."

After breaking the hug, he told her, "Remember what I said the other day? About how I'll talk to the person that will help you learn about your mother?"

Mikan nodded, and Kazumi smiled. "That person agreed to meet you, but not here."

After a moment, a high school girl joined them. She gave Kazumi a small bow. "Principal Yukihira."

Kazumi nodded in reply, and he turned to Mikan. "Let me introduce you. She's Shizune Yamanouchi, the Technical Class Representative."

"Hajimemashite, Shizune-nee-san," Mikan greeted while giving her a smile.

With a small smile, Shizune replied, "Hajimemashite, Mikan-chan."

"The person you're going to meet is the middle school principal, Hii-sama," Kazumi informed.

Mikan's eyes widened in surprise. "The Middle School Principal?"

"Yes. In this academy she's the only person that knows a lot about your mother."

Mikan quietly muttered to herself, "Oh…"

"With Hii-sama's help you might be able to train your other Alices, too."

Mikan looked up at her uncle and nodded. "I understand."

It was too bad that everyone had found out about her Teleportation Alice, but she still had another two Alices that were inherited from her mother, the Stealing and Insertion Alice. Her uncle had told her that the two Alices were still too weak in her, but it was not impossible to draw them out with training. Even though she would be transferred to the Dangerous Class if the truth was revealed, she still had the desire to learn about her other two Alices.

Shizune looked up at Kazumi, and after getting a nod from him, she looked at Mikan. "Please follow me. Hii-sama is awaiting you."

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	18. Chapter 18—The Order: Kiss Me

**Original Posting Date:** 23 Sep 2009

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**Chapter 18**

-:-

The Alice Festival finally began. She wasn't really in a good mood, but it couldn't be helped. Slowly, she made her way to the school grounds.

_Shizune-nee-san had guided her to this person called Hii-sama who was said to be The Middle School Principal. It surprised her to find that __the__ said principal was a beautiful woman. She was beautiful, but she always had this weird feeling each time Hii-sama looked at her in the eye._

_"You're Yuzu Princess's daughter," Hii-sama stated with her__fan covering half of her face._

_Mikan blinked. "Yuzu Princess?"_

_"Everyone who steps into the Flower Palace will be named as Princess," Shizune explained shortly._

_Mikan__'s mouth__ formed an 'o' in reply and then __she__ looked at Hii-sama nervously. She got 'that look' again as she shuddered mentally. She wondered inwardly if Hii-sama did that on purpose. She was shocked when Hii-sama suddenly drooled. Calm as usual, Shizune-nee-san reminded Hii-sama about her attitude, and she was back to her old self again. Mikan sweat dropped. Her first impression of Hii-sama was weird._

_"Since Principal Yukihira has presented me a lot of longevity and youth-lasting Alice stones, I couldn't refuse him," Hii-sama began again._

_Mikan remained silent._

_"Do you really wish to learn about your mother, Mikan Princess?" Hii-sama continued as she closed her fan._

_Mikan blinked her eyes again as she realised Hii-sama called her "Princess." She shook her head mentally as it was not the time to think about it. Looking at Hii-sama with determination in hereyes, she nodded her head. "Hai, Hii-sama."_

_From that day onwards, Hii-sama told her what she knew about her mother by answering her questions. She had tried to use her Stealing and Insertion Alice, but it seemed what Uncle Kazumi told her was right. The two Alices were too weak to be drawn out from her. After meeting Hii-sama for two weeks, Hii-sama finally told her that their meeting would end there. Hii-sama wished not to see her until she said otherwise, and she also told her that she would give her a hint when she wished to see her again._

Mikan sighed. She was so excited about knowing her mother, but Hii-sama had ended their meeting. Even though she was disappointed, she could do nothing about it. Clumsy as ever, she tripped over her own foot. She scowled to herself for being careless and looked at her injured knees.

"Mikan-chan?"

Mikan blinked. She looked up and met with Shuichi-nii-san, Subaru-nii-san and Shizune-nee-san.

"O-ohayou…" she laughed nervously.

Shuichi blinked. "Ohayou, Mikan-chan. Are you alright?"

Subaru, who saw her injured knees, immediately kneeled down and used his Healing Alice.

Mikan smiled at him after healing her knees. "Thank you, Subaru-nii-san."

Subaru nodded with a small smile, and she was helped to her feet again by Shizune, who offered a hand to her. Mikan smiled at the senior gratefully before taking her hand.

"Thank you so much for helping me, Shuichi-nii-san." Mikan gave a small bow at him.

Shuichi stared at her, confused. "Why?"

Mikan grinned. "I haven't been able to thank you for training me. You know… my Teleportation Alice."

"Oh, I don't mind helping you, so no need to thank me. Moreover, I'm glad that you're alright." Shuichi smiled and patted her head.

* * *

While looking at the Special Class, Nonoko asked, "Did you see Mikan-chan, Anna?"

After looking around, Anna replied, "No. I didn't see her, Nonoko."

"Is that Mikan-chan?" Iinchou asked quietly.

Everyone in his ability class turned to where he was looking at. They were shocked to find Mikan walking by Shuichi Sakurano's side and talking to him like they were good friends. And it was not only Shuichi Sakurano, Subaru Imai and Shizune Yamanouchi were also with her.

"Do you think Mikan-chan knows who they are?" Nonoko asked no one in particular.

Anna blinked her eyes before answering, "I think she knows them…"

Their suspicion was confirmed by Mikan, who bowed and then said something to them. The three of them nodded with a smile at her. After that they saw her join her ability class and immediately hugged by her senpai, Misaki.

Mikan was unaware that she was being stared at by Hotaru. She stopped staring at her when the announcer's voice filled the school grounds, opening the Culture Festival.

* * *

She was lucky that everyone believed her story. Quickly, she changed to her genie attire that was prepared by Misaki-senpai.

_"You're late, Chibi!" Tsubasa stated with curious eyes after seeing her with the representatives of the school._

_"Yeah, I kind of overslept." Mikan laughed nervously. It was a fat lie because she never overslept, not even once. She was just lost in her thoughts while walking to the school grounds._

_"Did something happen to you, Mikan-chan?" Misaki asked after she glanced at the representatives._

_Mikan faked a smile. "Nothing serious, I just tripped over my foot, and they helped me."_

_"No wonder," Tsubasa replied, and Misaki continued, "We always thought someone like you wouldn't get involved with them without a valid reason."_

_"Someone like me?" Mikan repeated as she didn't know if she should feel offended by that remark or not._

_"The representatives of the school are known as people who only involve themselves with people of high statuses in the school, and you are not one of them," Tsubasa replied obviously._

_Mikan was speechless. She had lost her desire to reply as she would let them believe what they want to believe. If only she could tell them that she was, indeed, one of them, and in fact, she was the High School Principal's niece. She wondered absent-mindedly what would happen if they found out that she was actually the High School Principal's niece. Would they change? Or more importantly, would she change?_

She shook her head mentally as she was thinking too much for her own good. She was sure that she would not change. Her love for everyone would never change.

* * *

In their RPG, the student would be the main character, and she and the others would be the enemies. Their game was made like a massive maze, and members of the Special Class would stand at certain points. In their game, the student was expected to complete the challenge that was given to them from the people that stood at each point in order to reach the goal. Their RGP didn't involve violence and fighting, but the students would be given one "weapon" before the game started. The weapon could be used against the members as it might be the key to complete certain challenges. The students were not allowed to use their Alices to harm the members and vice versa. Nothing was wrong with their game. The only problem was no one wanted to give their RPG a try.

She should have known all along that no one wanted to get involved with the Special Class that was known as a bunch of losers. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became to those who had started such an absurd idea. Luckily for them, Narumi-sensei, Ruka-pyon and Permy came and tried their RPG. It was a great start, and after that students started coming and trying their game. So far, no one had ever reached her. If they successfully passed her, they would get the privilege to choose a lamp that contained the name of one person who will grant them three wishes. Speaking of wishes, she just remembered that her day as Natsume's slave had begun. She looked down at the boy who was casually reading his favorite manga without a care about the outside world.

"Natsume…" she whispered quietly.

She didn't realise that her quiet voice could be heard by him until he looked up at her with an eyebrow raised.

She blushed scarlet, and she looked away from him. Her heart beat furiously in her chest.

He smirked when he saw her blushing face. Closing his manga with a soft thump, he stood up from his seat.

From the corner of her eyes, she knew he had approached her. She moved closer to the side of the carpet she was sitting on and started fidgeting.

"Little girl."

Her nervousness was gone instantly as she blinked. "Little girl?"

She glared at Natsume, who was surprisingly standing not far from her carpet. "What's that supposed to mean?"

He remained impassive as he repeated, "What's that supposed to mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "Answer me!"

Again, he followed after her. "Answer me!"

It hit her then, he was teasing her. Even though she knew it was not every day to find him teasing her, she was still annoyed to be called little girl. She had forgotten where she was and stood up immediately. Before she could voice out a piece of her mind, she lost her balance and started falling from the carpet. She shut her eyes tightly to welcome the pain, but it never came. She had collided with something warm instead. She opened her eyes and gasped. Her face was two inches away from his. Any rational thoughts left her mind as she stared into the pool of crimson. No one made a move, and she remained on top of him.

After a good minute of silence, she felt something pull her down to him. She slowly leaned closer. Instead of pushing her away, he slowly wrapped his arms around her bare waist. When they were an inch away, footsteps were heard, and they pulled away immediately.

Natsume cursed inwardly.

Mikan blushed scarlet as she just realised that she was about to kiss him.

She mentally chanted, _Oh My Gosh… Oh My Gosh… Oh My Gosh…_

After calming down, she found Natsume reading his manga again.

She gaped at him. _He's acting like nothing happened!_

Then Tsubasa appeared from the shadow. "Chibi!"

Mikan unconsciously glared at him.

Tsubasa was taken aback by her hard glare, and Natsume smirked.

"D-did I interrupt something?" Tsubasa laughed nervously.

Mikan didn't know whether she should thank him or be angry at him. Part of her was grateful for saving her before she could make a fool of herself. Part of her was angry for interrupting her perfect moment with Natsume, or more precisely her perfect moment to kiss him. She touched her forehead with the back of her hand. She wanted to make sure that she was not sick. Since the day she felt his lips on hers, she had the desire to kiss him again. Her face turned pale as she realised she might have turned into a pervert.

Unknown to her, Tsubasa had left.

Mikan was still oblivious that Natsume was watching her as she went through her dilemma. He watched with keen eyes as he predicted what she was thinking. The colour of her face had changed rapidly from scarlet to pale and back to scarlet again. He wouldn't admit that he did want her to kiss him just now, but thanks to Andou, his plan had turned into dust. He wasn't a pervert but a normal guy. Who wouldn't want the girl they like to kiss them? Only a stupid and abnormal guy would agree to that question.

Her dilemma stopped when she heard him call her name. Gulping, she slowly turned to look at him.

Her face turned serious when she saw his serious expression until he spoke. "Kiss me."

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	19. Chapter 19—The Order: Tell Me

**Original Posting Date:** 28 Sep 2009

-:-

**Chapter 19**

-:-

She opened her mouth and closed it again. She wished to say something, but her voice betrayed her, so not a single syllable was uttered. His serious expression didn't help the situation. After staring into each other's eyes for … a minute? Two minutes? Three minutes? She wasn't sure, and Natsume finally broke their staring contest. He picked up his manga again, and he started reading like nothing had happened.

Mikan gaped at him in disbelief. "Y-y-you…"

Natsume stopped reading and covered the lower portion of his face with his manga. "You're stuttering."

She turned red, not from embarrassment, but from anger. She stood up and towered over his sitting figure. "I can't believe you!"

"Yes, you can," he replied casually.

She turned redder as he answered her rhetorical question. Holding herself from yelling at him, she closed her eyes tightly. She mentally counted to ten to calm herself.

Meanwhile, she didn't know that he had closed his manga, and was staring at her with a smile that no one had ever seen before, not even Ruka. He meant to tease her by asking her to kiss him. He wanted to see her reaction. It was cute to see her speechless, and… his smile faded. Seeing her reaction now, he just realised something. Right after she opened her eyes, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to sit on his lap.

It shocked her, of course, but she obeyed him after seeing his serious expression.

"Natsume?" she squeaked quietly.

He made her straddle his waist while facing him. If this was the first time they sat like this, the colour of her face would rival that of a steamed crab. But since it was not the first time, she was fine as they were closer than before. When she felt his arms wrap around her naked waist, she slowly hugged him.

"Are you alright, Natsume?" she whispered quietly.

He tightened his arms around her. With that response she knew something was wrong.

She pulled away from him slightly and cupped his face with both of her hands.

His eyes were closed as she called him, "Hey…"

When he opened his eyes, she was shocked by his fear.

Panic slowly filled her senses. "W-what is it?"

For the past months, she had learned how to read his eyes. It was not easy to read him, but she always had the feeling that he let his guard down when she was with him.

"You're scaring me, Natsume…" she said shakily.

She obeyed him when he pulled her into his arms again.

After a moment or two he whispered, "Tell me what you feel about me. Do you like me?"

It was not like him to ask that kind of question, but he desperately wanted to know. It hit him just now that she might like him, too. If she liked him, he was happy, but scared at the same time. He was afraid that someone like Persona would take her away from him, just like what he did to Aoi. He wished not to lose another important person. After realising his feeling towards her, he knew that he should stay from her, but he couldn't. Since the day he accepted the friendship she offered, he couldn't help but wish to stay with her forever.

"Tell me…" he whispered again, but this time, his voice was half begging her to say yes.

Mikan was still shocked as she had never expected him to ask her that question. She wasn't sure. Her mind was running wild as she didn't know what to think. A big question had formed in her mind, why did he ask her? Was it because he felt the same or what? She felt her head start spinning.

"Why?" she blurted out, unable to keep her curiosity.

Instead of giving her an answer, he repeated again, "Tell me…"

She was afraid of his answer. Taking the safe path, she replied, "Of course, I like you. You are my friend."

He didn't expect that answer as his arms around her waist loosened. He whispered, "Friend…"

She pulled away from him again and looked into his eyes. Knowing what he was thinking, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"Does that answer your question?" she whispered quietly.

Something unexpected happened; he chuckled.

She looked at him strangely.

After calming down, he looked at her in the eye and cupped her face. "It does…"

Before she could say anything, he leaned in and kissed her cheek.

After a few moments she blushed crimson. She looked away from him and started mumbling incoherently. She just realised that she had kissed him on the cheek unwittingly, and he had kissed her back. Natsume, who was watching her, smiled and decided to tease her some more.

"I didn't know you were such a pervert, little girl," he whispered into her ears.

The redness on her face left as she glared at him. "I'm not a pervert!"

"Why did you kiss me then?" he pondered out loud.

She huffed and looked away from him. "It's because I like you."

Right after the words slipped out from her mouth, she gasped and clamped her hand over her mouth. She blushed scarlet.

He smiled and pulled her into his arms. Like always, she didn't push him away.

"I like you, too," he whispered quietly.

She smiled against his chest. A moment later, she broke the hug. "Are you alright, Natsume?"

He raised an eyebrow, and she sighed. "I know something's bothering you. So, don't lie to me."

"Hn," he grunted and looked away from her.

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you listening to me, Natsume?"

"I will protect you," he muttered quietly.

She blinked and then sighed inwardly. She wondered why everyone tried to protect her. Protect her from what? She didn't know, nor did she have a clue about it. Realising he wouldn't tell her anything, she awkwardly stood up but sat on her carpet again. He didn't even try to stop her as everything went back to normal again.

Looking down at Natsume, who was reading his manga, she wondered, _What are we now, Natsume?_

She was not stupid. Of course, she knew that they were now more than friends, but was that all? She didn't know.

Unknown to her, he was having the same thought.

"Little girl," he said, pulling her from her complicated thoughts.

She blinked and scowled at him. "Will you please stop calling me a little girl?"

"If you want me to stop, you shouldn't answer me." He smirked.

A vein popped on her forehead, and she huffed. "Whatever you say. What is it?"

"Don't tell anyone," he said without explanation. He knew that she was smart and knew what he meant.

She didn't disappoint him as she replied, "May I know why?"

When he was about to sigh, she suddenly said, "It'd be better if I stay away from you."

He looked into her eyes as he stated, "I know you are not stupid."

She was about to snap at him, but then she sighed tiredly instead. She didn't feel like arguing with him. For the past few minutes he had done nothing but tease her until she lost her cool. He raised an eyebrow at her when she remained calm.

She looked into his eyes before looking away from him, "I won't tell anyone."

"Another secret to keep, huh?" she muttered to herself.

Unknown to her, he heard her.

* * *

Standing in front of Natsume's room, Mikan started debating when she should knock.

_"Thanks for the hard work, everyone," Tsubasa pronounced with a big grin on his face._

_Everyone smiled at him before nodding and dismissing themselves. Their RPG was a great success; they all believed that tomorrow would be better than today._

_"Chibi," Tsubasa called nervously._

_Mikan, who just appeared from the changing room, looked up at him. "What is it, Tsubasa-senpai?"_

_Tsubasa looked at her face. Even though her face remained calm, he knew that she was still angry with him. He was curious about what happened between his little kouhai and her partner, but he didn't dare to ask. He refused to anger her more._

_"You may take your leave tomorrow," Tsubasa said._

_Mikan's face lit up as she smiled. "Oh, can I? What about the game?"_

_Tsubasa sighed inwardly as he made a good decision. He smiled. "It's okay. Everyone can continue the game without you just for a day."_

_"Thank you, Tsubasa-senpai!" Mikan smiled happily._

_Before she could get near to hug him, Natsume grabbed her shoulder and dragged her away from him. She waved at her senpais before leaving the building completely. They waved back with a smile. When they were out of the building, Natsume let her go._

_"Why did you do that, Natsume?" she asked as she walked by his side._

_Without looking at her, he replied, "You're mine."_

_She stopped in her tracks and gaped at him. "W-what did you say?"_

_He knew she had stopped following him. He stopped and looked over his shoulder. "What did I say?"_

_She glared at him instantly. "Will you please not make fun of me, Natsume? I'm being serious here if you must know."_

_He hummed to himself and turned to face her fully. "You are my slave, are you not?"_

_With that said, he turned and started walking again._

_She followed him obediently because she knew that he was right. She had agreed to become his slave for the Culture Festival. But still, she wanted to know what he meant by his declaration._

_Knowing what she was thinking, he said to her and only to her, "If you wish to hear it again, come to my room after dinner."_

She bit her lower lip. Her heart was beating furiously. She gulped anxiously. She had fought with herself mentally for hours whether she should go to his room or not. Her "good" side was telling her not to go, but her "bad" side was telling her to go. In the end, her "good" side agreed with her "bad" side because seeing her duty as his slave, she should go. But she then remembered that he didn't command her. He had said _if_ she wished. She crouched down and covered her ears. She was trying to block the voices that asked her to knock his door right away. Tears of frustration started forming. She felt like she had lost herself, and her rational thought had been thrown out of the window.

The door in front of her was opened then.

Slowly, she looked up and met with crimson eyes. She blinked, and her first tear slid down her face.

He was shocked when he found her before his door. He didn't know that she would really come to him. When he saw her tears as she looked up, his eyes widened in shock. She then stood up and hugged him immediately before crying in his arms. He was worried beyond words, but he could do nothing at the moment as he let her cry. He slowly pulled her into his living room.

* * *

He stared at her blushing face. She had told him that she cried because she was confused about his order. That was totally… stupid. That was what he thought, but one thing was confirmed for him. She really liked him. She wouldn't have taken his words seriously if she didn't.

"I know I'm being stupid…" she muttered with a hint of sadness.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Why?"

Chewing her lower lip, she looked away from him.

As she remained silent, he quietly said, "Tell me…"

She sighed dejectedly before muttering, "I don't know… I just know that…"

"Know that…" he repeated while looking at her intently.

She blushed. "I just know that I really like you!"

If he were an innocent child, he would be jumping up and down happily by now. Since he was not a child anymore, he remained cool and smiled instead. He pulled her into his arms for the umpteenth time that day.

"I really like you, too," he whispered into her ears.

She hugged him tightly in reply.

After they broke the hug, he looked at his clock that said 11:00 PM. He got up and dragged her to his bedroom. After jumping onto his bed, he turned to her, who stood frozen to the ground.

"Come," he ordered while holding out a hand for her.

She shifted uncomfortably and looked at him nervously. "N-Natsume… I came here because—"

"I know," he interrupted her and silently ordered her to join him on his bed again.

She hesitantly walked to his bed. When he took her hand and gently pulled her to his arms again, the tension in her body slowly dissipated.

"Tell me…" she murmured quietly.

He whispered the words she wanted to hear.

She smiled against his chest.

"Good night, Natsume," she whispered before closing her eyes.

He replied her by kissing her brow and quietly wishing her a good night.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	20. Chapter 20—The Order: Trust Me

**Original Posting Date:** 10 Oct 2009

-:-

**Chapter 20**

-:-

She snuggled deeper under the thick blanket. She took a breath and sighed as the scent of the boy she liked reached her nostril. Brows furrowed, she asked herself how in the hell she could smell Natsume. After a few seconds she got up in alarm with wide eyes. Blinking a few times, she looked around and found out she was alone. She slowly got up from the bed and tried to tidy her hair with her fingers. Then, she noticed a small note on the bedside table.

_Little girl,  
__Meet me at the entrance of Technical Class's area, 9:00 AM.  
__Rules:  
__1. You're my slave after I won your class's ridiculous game.  
__2. Don't tell anyone about us and burn this letter after you read it.  
__—Natsume  
__P.S. I had a good night with your constant mumbling.__  
_

_Constant mumbling? _She couldn't recall mumbling in her sleep. Her face turned pale and then deep crimson as she realised that she might have mumbled something embarrassing. Shaking her head, she tried to think positive things because she knew Natsume always teased her. She looked at the time and realised that she had an hour to get ready. After making sure the letter was burned, she quickly walked back to her room.

* * *

As soon as she saw Ruka, she waved her hand. "Ruka-pyon!"

Thirty minutes before the scheduled time, she had decided to go to the meeting place. She wished to ask Natsume where he had been early in the morning, but he was not present. Coincidentally, she saw Ruka with his rabbit. She decided that she might talk to Ruka while waiting for Natsume.

"Good morning, Sakura-san," Ruka greeted with a smile.

Returning his smile, she replied, "Good morning, Ruka-pyon."

She started looking around, and knowing whom she was looking for, Ruka said, "Natsume will be here in a moment."

Turning to Ruka immediately, she turned deep scarlet. "H-how did you know that I'm looking for him?"

Before he could answer, she continued, "I know. You're coming with us to look around the Technical Class's area, right?"

Ruka nodded with a small smile even though it was not true. To be honest, it was he who invited Natsume to go to the Technical Class's area.

_He was looking for his best friend since his class activities ended. As expected, he found Natsume under the Sakura tree, reading his favorite manga. He smiled and sat down beside him. He set his rabbit on his lap and started petting the long-eared animal. They remained silent for a good minute._

_"Natsume, I'm going to the Technical Class's area tomorrow," Ruka began._

_Natsume furrowed his eyebrows. A moment later he closed his manga with a soft thump and looked at his best friend curiously._

_"Technical? Did Imai force you to go there to help her?" Natsume asked. He knew how his best friend was being 'hunted' by Mikan's best friend Hotaru Imai._

_"What? No! Hotaru didn't force me to go there," Ruka replied without thinking._

_Natsume blinked and smirked. "'Hotaru,' huh?"_

_Ruka froze as he just realised his mistake. "I-I mean Imai-san."_

_Natsume hummed, and Ruka blushed._

_He knew lying wouldn't help him as he sighed. "I'm sorry, Natsume."_

_"Why?" he asked with an eyebrow raised._

_Ruka sighed. "Because I didn't tell you anything about Hotaru."_

_Natsume smirked, and Ruka started telling him how he and Hotaru became closer after the Reo incident. From an outsider's point of view, one would think that they were enemies since Hotaru was always taking his pictures, but they were not. When they were left alone, they called each other by their first names and would have conversations like friends. Even though he didn't say anything about he was attracted to her, Hotaru seemed to know it. It was a silent agreement between them that they would take things slowly, and for now they would be only friends. At the end of the story, Natsume didn't comment on anything. It wasn't because he didn't care about his best friend, but he was simply going to trust him with whatever he was going to do._

_"How about you and Sakura-san?" Ruka blurted out suddenly, surprising them both._

_Natsume remained silent for a moment. "What about her?"_

_"Don't you like her, Natsume?" Ruka looked at his best friend's emotionless face._

_Natsume blinked and turned to him with a confused face. "Huh?"_

_Ruka blinked. He wished to say something, but he felt like he had suddenly lost his voice and remained silent instead. And surprisingly, both silently agreed to end the topic._

_"I will go," Natsume stated._

_Ruka looked at him, confused, but it hit him afterward. "Ah, okay. Are you going to invite Sakura-san?"_

_"I don't have to; she will come with me," Natsume replied._

_Ruka looked at him confusingly but didn't say anything. "Then, we'll—"_

_"Nine in the morning at the entrance of the Technical Class's area," Natsume interrupted him._

_Ruka looked at him worriedly. "Natsume…"_

_"Don't worry about it; I'm fine." Natsume said as he closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes, he took his manga and read it again._

_"Then, I'll see you tomorrow," Ruka said as he stood up._

_After getting a nod from Natsume, he made his way to his room._

Looking at Mikan's smiling face, Ruka was sure that Natsume hadn't said anything about him going on a mission. He mentally prayed that his best friend would at least open up to Mikan as she was such a sweet girl.

Unknown to him, Natsume and Mikan's relationship was beyond his relationship with Hotaru.

"Ruka-pyon, is there any specific place you want to go to?" Mikan asked absent-mindedly.

Her mind was filled with worry for Natsume. She sighed in relief when she saw him, but she noted something was wrong about him. She shook her head mentally as she thought she was imagining things.

"Natsume, good morning," she greeted with a smile.

Natsume only grunted a "hn," and continued walking to the Technical Class's area.

She had the urge to pout at him, but she wouldn't do such things. She still remembered how he wished to keep their relationship a secret. Even though they did confess to each other yesterday, Natsume didn't say anything about it. Of course, she knew that they remained friends, but was that all? She sighed upon the thought. She didn't know what he was thinking.

"Can we go to Hotaru's shop?" she asked him to distract herself from the complicated thoughts.

Natsume didn't bother to reply but complied with her request.

Ruka started wondering if he was _left_ behind. He was not stupid for not noticing how his best friend interacted with Mikan. He wouldn't dare to ask Natsume about it though. If Natsume wished to tell him, then he would tell him eventually. All he could do for now is to wait.

Mikan smiled when Hotaru's shop came into view. Before she could approach the shop, she saw a group of people gathering around. As she stepped closer, she realised that Hotaru was doing a demonstration of her latest invention, Pigula Number 3. Her best friend was a real genius when it came to robots. After the demonstration ended, she sweat dropped. There were a lot of foreigners that started bidding to get Pigula and Pigu-Bird.

"Hotaru was awesome." Mikan smiled to herself as she was glad to get to know her.

"Those fans of Imai-san's machines… Looked like billionaires from all over the world, didn't they?"

Mikan blinked, and everyone turned to the source. It was none other than Sumire Shouda.

Mikan looked at her in surprise. "Permy…"

Sumire continued, "According to my brother, the Technical Class got two more sponsors since she arrived. That performance will attract even more sponsors."

Mikan thought about it for a moment and looked at the people in the Technical Class. They seemed to know what they wanted to do. They all looked so full of dreams that it was dazzling.

"Dreams, huh?" she muttered to herself.

Everyone was startled when Mikan asked them, "Guys… do you know what you want to do when you grow up? Like a dream for the future?"

Confused, everyone looked at her.

Sumire replied her though, "Well… to make the most of my Alice… I've decided to be a police officer or an investigator for the government."

"Wow! I hope the best for you, Permy." Mikan smiled.

Sumire huffed but smiled back at her. It was hard to admit, but their relationship had been getting better since the Reo incident. They were able to hold a civil conversation without arguing now. Even though she was still annoyed by the girl, she had come to accept Mikan as one of her friends.

"What about you, Ruka-pyon?" Mikan asked while looking at the Animal Pheromone Alice boy.

A tinge of blush was on his face as replied, "What?"

She stared at him as she waited.

"I'm not going to tell you." He looked away from her.

Mikan blinked but smiled. She knew that Ruka must have decided what he was going to do in the future. Before she could ask Natsume the same question, she saw him talking to a shop keeper. She sighed mentally. She knew that even though she asked him, he wouldn't give her any answer, so she let it go.

"Actually, Imai-san isn't the only triple. Natsume-kun and you are executives; Ruka-kun is a triple," Sumire piped in.

"Wow!" Mikan looked at Ruka in surprise.

Ruka looked away. "It's not like… I got it because of my actual talent like Hotaru, and…"

"I'm hungry." Natsume stated as he grabbed Mikan's wrist. While dragging her, he said, "Let's go, Ruka."

Ruka looked back toward Hotaru's shop and saw Hotaru, who looked at him, too. They stared at each other for a while before Ruka smiled at her and followed after Natsume.

* * *

Anna served the pie on the table. "Anna's 'Queen Banana Miracle Pie'!"

Mikan blinked as she looked at the bubbles coming out from the pie.

"It's rainbow colored…" Mikan said as she wondered mentally if the pie was edible.

"Enjoy it with 'Tropical Melting Tea,'" Anna said with big smile as she poured the tea into the cups.

Natsume's eyes narrowed as he looked at the pie. "Mweh-heh-heh-heh! Eat my rotten filling… Now your stomach will writhe… Hee-hee-hee."

Before Mikan or Ruka could eat the pie, Natsume grabbed the tea pot and…

_SPLOOSH!_

Everything remained still until Mikan stood up and exclaimed, "Natsume! What did you do that for?"

"Trust me; it was terrible," Natsume said bluntly but locked eyes with Mikan.

She glared at him. "You… apologise, you big jerk!"

Unfortunately, he was one who took no order from anyone, so he left without saying anything.

She was beyond angry as she shouted, "Hey…!"

"What's going on?" Anna's senpai, Miruku came.

Anna ran to her and sobbed.

* * *

Mikan sighed in defeat. "I can't believe that guy."

_After a short explanation of what had happened, Miruku-senpai turned to the pie._

_"You used expired flour, didn't you?" Miruku-senpai said, and Anna stopped crying._

_"Look at this. It's got a germie on it. You'll get nauseous if you eat this," Miruku-senpai explained._

_"Maybe that boy realised it and that's why he doused it with tea," she continued, and Anna started apologising._

"Natsume did it specifically so that we wouldn't eat it," Ruka said, pulling her out from her thoughts.

She whispered, "I know."

Ruka looked at Mikan in surprise and blinked his eyes several times.

She began with a low sigh. "At first, it was hard to understand him... but when you know the reason why he did it, you will know that he always thinks about other people before himself," she said more to herself than to Ruka.

She got the feeling that Natsume was just like Uncle Kazumi, protective. Though, Natsume was more like protective in a way that everyone would think badly of him. She shook her head mentally as she remembered what he had said.

_"Trust me; it was terrible."_

Really, she just realised she should have trusted him.

"Sakura-san…" Ruka muttered while looking at her face.

He realised that Mikan really understood Natsume without him telling her. Looking at her face, he remembered her question about his dreams for the future. He smiled inwardly as he pictured himself with Natsume, Mikan and Hotaru living in a place where no one could ever find them and they could live in peace. He believed that someday, his dream would come true.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	21. Chapter 21—The Order: Promise Me

**Original Posting Date:** 23 Oct 2009

-:-

**Chapter 21**

-:-

"That was what I have gathered, Principal Yukihira," Jinno-sensei ended his long report about Natsume Hyuuga. After a long investigation, he finally got the complete information about the boy, A.K.A. Kuro Neko. He never questioned the principal when he was asked to look for the boy's information. He knew he did that for his little niece, or more like his "daughter." He was not blind as he could tell that the principal loved his niece like his own child.

Kazumi remained silent for a few minutes before looking at Jinno-sensei. "What do you suggest, Jinno-sensei?"

"I personally would want to talk to Hii-sama about Aoi Hyuuga, Principal Yukihira," Jinno-sensei replied after a moment of pondering.

Kazumi studied Natsume's profile for a while. After making up his mind, he looked up at Jinno-sensei. "Could you help me call Mikan, Jinno-sensei?"

"To be honest, it would be difficult around this time, but I will have passed the message by the end of the day," Jinno-sensei replied.

"That would be alright. Thank you, Jinno-sensei." Kazumi nodded his head and received a nod from Jinno-sensei, too. He knew he had stepped into a dangerous territory. Still, he also knew that it was inevitable. After observing his little niece's partner through Jinno-sensei's daily reports, he believed that he could trust the boy to take care of his little niece during her stay in the elementary division. But in order to do that, a few strings must be pulled so that the boy would willingly protect his niece without hesitation. It seemed like he was taking advantage of the boy. On second thought, he could still approach the boy. He would need to think about it again.

* * *

_How did this happen?_ Mikan pondered while looking at the ugly wall before her. It was simple. After meeting up with Natsume, they agreed to visit Yuu's haunted mansion. Not long after they stepped into the ugly house, they got separated. Obviously, she had never expected something like that. She always thought she was following the two boys, but she was not. To make things more complicated, the light went out afterwards. She sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Stop sighing, little girl."

Ah, she forgot to mention that the boy named Natsume Hyuuga also "accidentally" stuck with her as he claimed. She was still clueless how in the world that she could end up with him out of all people. Even though she didn't hold any grudge towards him, she couldn't stand being with him. She had this weird feeling within her whenever they got closer. It was unnoticeable at first, but the closer she got to him, the stronger the feeling became. It was not unpleasant though. As a result, she sat as far as she could to get away from him.

Since he didn't get any response, he called again, "Little girl."

She ignored him as if he was not with her.

He sighed mentally before calling her again, "Mikan."

He almost growled under his breath when he saw her look at him with a cheery smile. How he wished to wipe that smile and kiss her lips instead. It was a big fat lie when he said he accidentally met her. He had purposely searched for her when they got separated. Luckily, his silent prayer was answered as he found her. Then, he noticed something unusual about her: she was avoiding him. It was not like she was avoiding eye contact, but rather she was avoiding his presence. How could it be? He couldn't answer that as he didn't know what she was thinking. It made it even more confusing as they had just slept together last night for crying out loud and now this? He shook his head mentally. _Women._

He would never understand those creatures.

"What is it, Natsume?" Her cheery voice pulled him out from his thoughts.

"Do you have any problem with me?" he asked lightly.

Confused, she tilted her head. "Huh?"

He made no further explanation and looked away from her.

Somehow, she realised what he was trying to say. _Why are you sitting so far away from me?_

She gulped mentally as she pondered how to tell him about her weird feeling. A name crossed her mind suddenly. She looked at the ground guiltily as she remembered she hadn't talked to her best friend for quite some time. She always talked to her best friend when she was confused at times like this, but, with the recent events, she rarely spoke to her now. She took mental note to have a long talk with her best friend after the Culture Festival ended. Remembering her current situation, she looked up at Natsume. "I'm sorry."

Hearing no answer coming from him, she continued, "I just have this weird feeling in me, Natsume…"

He turned to look at her, indicating that she had his attention.

She shifted uncomfortably and avoided his gaze. "Since this morning, I have had this weird feeling each time we got closer."

The words slowly processed in his head, and his eyes gradually widened.

When she looked up at him again, her eyes sparkled in curiosity. "Natsume? Are you alright?"

She was worried when he remained silent. Quickly, she went to him and shook his right shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?"

It startled her when he suddenly grabbed the hand that she had placed on his shoulder. He looked into her eyes but said nothing.

"Natsume?" she looked at him nervously. Her heart beat faster and faster when he slowly pulled her closer to him. She didn't know what happened to her. Suddenly, she felt excited but nervous at the same time. She wondered if she really had a heart disease. The last time she felt this way was when she realised her feelings towards Natsume. After a few minutes it dawned on her: she was in love with Natsume.

Unknown to her, he, too, was having the same conclusion.

"Oh my…" she murmured to herself as she covered her mouth with her hands.

He noticed her realization as he finally looked at her in the eye.

They stared at each other.

"Do you…" she said quietly as she was afraid to voice out her question, or more like she was afraid of the answer.

"What do you think?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I wish you do…" she trailed off.

Then, something unbelievable happened: he chuckled. He was laughing at her!

"Do you find something amusing?" she asked annoyingly. She felt as if it were déjà vu as she remembered that she had asked the same question before.

"Nothing," he grunted a reply as he stopped chuckling and released her hand.

Confused, she looked at him.

Before she could open her mouth, he said, "Teleport."

"Huh?" she answered unintelligently.

He raised an eyebrow at her, and it hit her then that she could use her Teleportation to get out of this haunted house. She slapped her forehead mentally. How could she forget about her Teleportation Alice? She sighed mentally and looked at him again.

"Are you ready for a short trip, Natsume?" she asked as she tilted her head to the side.

* * *

Ruka ran to his best friend. "Natsume!"

He was about to go to the house again to search for them, but suddenly, his best friend appeared before the entrance of the haunted house. He then figured out that Mikan used her Teleportation Alice to get out of the haunted house.

"Ruka-pyon, are you alright?" Mikan asked with a smile.

Ruka sweat dropped. "I should be the one to ask you that, Sakura-san."

Mikan giggled. "Hee-hee… I guess you are right."

"Let's go," Natsume said as he walked away from the haunted house.

_She was wondering what he was thinking as he never answered her question. Still, she waited. Somehow, she knew that he was trying to say something. Waiting was not a pleasant thing to do though. A second felt like a minute, and a minute felt like an hour. She became more nervous each second. After what felt like forever, he reached out to her nape and pulled her closer to him until their foreheads were pressed together lightly. They stared at each other for a good minute until he closed his eyes, breaking their eye contact. She followed suit, and they remained silent for another minute._

_She was content with the comfortable silence until he softly murmured, "I'm sorry."_

_She refrained herself from opening her eyes and replied him as calmly as she could, "What is it?"_

_"It will be dangerous if you stay with me," he said as he slightly pulled his forehead away and guided her to sit on his lap._

_As usual, she didn't protest and did what he wanted. After she sat comfortably on his lap, she began, "I don't know what danger you're talking about, Natsume…"_

_He wrapped his arms around her waist. Before he could say anything, she continued, "If you don't want to tell me, it's alright. I won't force you. I'll wait."_

_Even though it was not fair for her, he was glad that she could understand him._

_"Thank you," he whispered quietly. To be honest, this was the first time he had ever said "thank you" to someone._

_"What are we now?" she closed her eyes as she hugged him. She waited and waited, but no answer came from him. She wondered again why he didn't answer her._

_Uncertainty was what he felt at the moment. Should he take the risk to be with her? He knew he shouldn't and couldn't. She was too important to him. If the higher ups found out about this, he was sure it would endanger her even more. Persona had somehow noticed his cold demeanor had changed, and the worse thing was the man knew it was because of her. For her safety, they would have to keep what they ha__d__ a secret for the time being. He couldn't tell anyone about their relationship, not now, not until he found Aoi._

_Unknown to him, someone was going to help him._

_"Promise me," he said as he tightened his hold. After getting a response from her, he spoke, "No matter what happens, never doubt me."_

_Even though she didn't have any idea what he was talking about, she complied with his request, "I promise."_

_After that, he said he was ready for the short trip. Before she could start to concentrate on her Teleportation Alice, he kissed her cheek and whispered, "You're my girl."_

_The smile was evident on her face as she hugged him and told him that he was hers, too. After giving him a peck on the cheek, they held hands, and she teleported them to the entrance of the haunted house. Remembering his words about keeping a secret about their close relationship, she let go of his hand as Ruka approached them with a relieved smile._

She wouldn't deny that she was happy. She was. But when she thought about their secret relationship, she couldn't help but felt insecure. She didn't know if it was normal for her to feel this way when one should keep quiet about their relationship. Did it have something to do with how he made her promise not to doubt him? Did he know that she would feel this way?

"Are you alright, Sakura-san?" Ruka's voice brought her back to reality.

She turned to Ruka and smiled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Did you say something just now?"

Ruka looked at her strangely but shrugged it off, and he shook his head. "No, I didn't. But I think we should go now; Natsume is leaving."

"Of course! Let's go, Ruka-pyon." She grinned, but it didn't last longer than a minute as she looked at Ruka.

"W-what is it?" Ruka asked while sweating mentally as he could feel the intensity of her stare.

Mikan furrowed her eyebrows. "I just recalled something… you remember when we talked about our dreams, right?"

Without waiting for his answer, she continued, "I remember you called Hotaru by her first name. I was wondering what happened between you two."

The question was quite simple as it was coming from a rather simple-minded Mikan Sakura. Of course, she didn't realise the effect of her question on Ruka, who was now sweating mentally and more heavily while she waited for his answer. His tongue had slipped again. Firstly, it was in front of his best friend and now the girl he used to like. Oh dear, he just didn't know what to do anymore. Luckily for him, his best friend had come to his rescue as he dragged her away. He mentally noted that next time, he would have to be more careful with his words.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	22. Chapter 22—Secret: Dangerous Ability

**Original Posting Date:** 19 Jan 2010

-:-

**Chapter 22**

-:-

While looking around the Technical Class's area with Natsume and Ruka, an accident occurred. So many people were injured because of it. Luckily, Subaru-nii-chan had come and healed everyone within seconds. She had always known about Subaru-nii-chan's Pain Alice, but she had never seen him use that Alice until just now. He had talked to the other students with great authority and handled the situation quickly. Then, she saw Hotaru come forward, blocking his way when he was about to leave the location. Everyone was surprised and shocked except for her when Subaru-nii-chan declared that Hotaru was his younger sister. Before parting ways with Natsume, she had requested to follow Hotaru. Strangely, he made no objections and let her go.

She ran as fast as her feet could take her.

_"Hotaru…" she called out with uncertainty._

_Hotaru sighed. "I had already prepared for our first meeting."_

_"…"_

_"Ever since he turned 5 years old, he has stayed here… maybe that's why he became like this. His face… as if he's at work. Every time I see him, I'll be asking myself, 'Will I become the same, too, since we come from the same family?'"_

_"No, you won't," Mikan said immediately._

_Hotaru glanced at her for a moment before looking away. "When I discovered I had an Alice, Mum cried a lot. She really regretted leaving my brother in the academy's hands."_

_She wished she could say something, but she couldn't. Even if she could, she had no right to say anything._

_"The consequences of running away from the academy would cause more damage, so I came to the academy. I wanted to see my nii-chan who had made Mum and Dad so sad, too. And then, I want to prove that I won't change. I'll definitely protect my important memories and people."_

_Subaru-nii-chan… you didn't mean it, right?_ she thought while running.

_"I'm really thankful that they cared for me when I was born. But except for that, there is nothing between us."_

After Hotaru told her what she felt about her brother, she tried to comfort her, but Hotaru only smiled at her and said not to worry. Remembering Subaru-nii-chan's silent message, she excused herself. She noticed Hotaru looking suspiciously at her. She smiled at Hotaru and said she was going to meet Jinno-sensei. She was surprised that she could come up with a good lie so quickly. She hoped it wouldn't become a habit. Iinchou was convinced, but not Hotaru. She knew it from the eyes that silently asked her where she was planning to go. Still, she left.

Despite her heavy breaths, she still smiled as she saw Subaru-nii-chan, who was sitting on a long bench. As she came closer to him, he turned to her with an emotionless face that could rival Natsume's. She slowed down before stopping in front of Subaru-nii-chan. She tried to catch her breath while holding onto her knees.

"Take it easy," Subaru-nii-chan said smoothly.

She looked up at him. "I'm sorry for being late. Did you wait for a long time, Subaru-nii-chan?"

He shook his head slightly.

She straightened herself before looking into his eyes. "Subaru-nii-chan…"

Before he could respond, she continued, "What you said to Hotaru… you didn't mean it, right?"

Silence.

When she was about to open her mouth again, he spoke, "No."

"Then why did you act so—"

"We have to."

"I don't understand."

"Do you know why we keep secrets?"

"…"

"To protect our loved ones," he answered for her.

She stared at the ground, unsure of what to say. "Subaru-nii-chan…"

He hummed quietly. It was so quiet that she almost could not hear it.

"Keeping secrets is not pleasant. I've been lying to Hotaru, and… and I'm afraid that…"

Before she could continue, he took both of her hands.

She looked up at him in surprise.

He rubbed her small hands with his thumbs, and a moment later their hands started glowing.

Closing her eyes, she slowly felt the tension leave her body. When the light dimmed, she opened her eyes.

She looked at him gratefully. Then, she felt a small tug within her. "Can I hug you, Subaru-nii-chan?"

His eyes widened slightly before asking, "Why?"

She giggled before hugging him without warning. She felt him stiffen, but, after a moment, he relaxed.

"Arigatou… Onii-chan," she whispered. She was grateful for what he did. He just did some healing on her to calm her nerves.

He patted her small back. "You're welcome, Mikan."

She smiled and broke the hug. She then tilted her head. "So, why did you ask me to come here?"

"I was asked by Jinno-sensei to pass a message from Principal Yukihira. He wishes to see you as soon as he can."

She furrowed her eyebrows. _Did something happen?_

"Don't worry. Everything's fine," he said as if he had read her mind.

She nodded her head. "I guess I can go now. Will you accompany me, Onii-chan?"

He answered by standing up from his seat and casting a small smile at her.

She returned the smile, and they went to the High School Principal's office afterwards.

Unknown to them, a pair of amethyst eyes had been watching them from afar. As they left, her eyes flashed with unreadable feelings. "What are you hiding from me, Mikan?"

Hotaru knew her best friend was lying from her awkward smile. She may have fooled Iinchou, but not her. A few moments after she had gone, she told Iinchou to leave her alone. Remembering what had happened, he complied with her request. After he left, she quickly tracked her best friend down with her flying scooter. She had guessed that Mikan would leave to find her older brother, but she had never thought that it would be true. She hid behind the bushes not far from them but not close enough to hear what they were talking about.

She was shocked. She almost thought she was dreaming or something. She had never thought that she would see Mikan talking to her older brother in a friendly way. She could tell the difference between her and Mikan. Her older brother didn't talk to Mikan like a stranger, but rather like an old friend or someone like an older brother to a sister.

Was she angry? She was, but who was she angry with? Mikan? Could she blame her? From what she saw, Mikan did nothing but talk to her older brother. She wanted to be angry at Mikan, but deep down in her heart she knew she shouldn't be angry at her. Should she be angry at her older brother then? She wasn't sure. Since she joined the academy, she had never tried to approach him. If he could talk to Mikan so freely, that meant both of them knew each other. She was unsure since when, but she guessed it might have been since the Reo incident.

Was she jealous? She was. She couldn't deny it. She was jealous of Mikan. She still remembered how her older brother looked at her with his cold eyes, but when he looked at Mikan, they were gentle. He even tried to comfort her when she was upset. She didn't know why she was upset though. Even though she couldn't hear what they were talking about, she could at least see their expressions. She then admitted to herself that it was partly her fault for not approaching her older brother sooner, but shouldn't he feel glad to meet her?

Did she feel betrayed? She did. She always thought Mikan would never lie to her nor keep secrets from her. How could she leave her alone like this? Didn't she come here to be with her? Did she not think of her as her best friend anymore? She just realised that she rarely spent time with her now. Aside from homeroom, their meetings up until now were purely coincidence.

She closed her eyes and plopped herself onto her comfy bed. Thinking too much made her head hurt. She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling for a while before closing them again.

"Don't leave me alone…" she muttered before slowly falling asleep.

* * *

Mikan unlocked the door and peered inside before stepping into the room. It was so dark. She opened the door wider as she tried to reach the switch and turned on the light. She sighed as she looked at the fully-furnished room. After closing the door behind her, she immediately went into the bedroom. When she found the room empty, she sighed dejectedly. She shook her head and threw herself onto the bed. She snuggled closer to the pillow and inhaled deeply. Feeling his scent on the bed made her feel sleepy.

After talking to her uncle, she had returned to her own room. But as she opened the door, she found a key with Natsume's name on it and no notes or whatsoever. She figured out that she could go to his room whenever she wanted. She wished to see him, so she came, but he was nowhere to be found in this room. Even though only a few hours had passed, she already missed him. She absent-mindedly wondered if it was normal to feel this way.

"Where are you, Natsume…" she murmured before closing her eyes.

_The silence was expected. She knew Subaru-nii-chan was a __man of __few words. If she were someone else, she would think that he was upset as they walked together without exchanging words._

_She looked ahead as she thought about her action. She knew she had acted impulsively, but then she asked herself why she suddenly wanted to hug Subaru-nii-chan just now. She wouldn't lie to herself. She did look at him like her own brother. Of course, it was the same as S__h__uichi-nii-chan, but the feeling was stronger when she was with Subaru-nii-chan. She guessed maybe it was because of Hotaru. They may be best friends, but she always thought of Hotaru like a sister. Subaru-nii-chan was Hotaru's older brother, so it was kind of obvious for her to think of him as such._

_They arrived in front of her uncle's office door shortly. They stood still for a good minute._

_She looked up at him. "Onii-chan…"_

_"You can tell her."_

_She blinked. "Excuse me?"_

_"…"_

_She tried to interpret his words while looking at him._

_Looking at her confused face, he elaborated, "I have secrets, but I can't tell you."_

_"…"_

_They stared at each other._

_"Do I look like I'm lying to you by telling you this?"_

_She slowly smiled and then laughed softly. "I don't think so."_

_He nodded his head._

_Before he could turn around and leave, she hugged him again._

_He remained relaxed this time and patted her small back for the second time._

_She broke the hug and looked up at him with a relieved smile. "Arigatou, Onii-chan!"_

_He gave another nod before leaving her alone._

_She smiled at Subaru-nii-chan's retreating back. He had not only healed her but also helped her to think. Come to think of it, the answer was quite simple. She was surprised herself that she couldn't think of the solution he had given to her just now. She should have known that sometimes, the most complicated things were better fixed with simple solutions. She sighed. She realised that she still had a long way to go._

_Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Her uncle looked up from his documents. His smile was evident on his handsome face. She returned his smile._

_"Uncle Kazumi!" She ran towards her uncle and hugged him tightly. No matter how distraught she was, whenever she hugged him, she felt at ease._

_Kazumi caught his little niece in his arms as he smiled. "How was your first Cultural Festival, Mikan?"_

_Mikan nodded with a big smile. "It was good."_

_"I'm glad then."_

_She tilted her head. "What's the matter?"_

_"I need your assistance."_

_"What is it?"_

_"It's about Aoi, Aoi Hyuuga."_

_She blinked in surprise. "Hyuuga?"_

_"Yes. She's Natsume Hyuuga's younger sister."_

_Before she could open her mouth, her uncle interrupted her, "I have to tell you something important, Mikan."_

_Again? That was what crossed her mind immediately. She knew the look on her uncle's face. She had to keep silent about whatever her uncle would say today. She had a hunch that this had something to do with what Natsume was trying to hide from her all this time. A part of her wished to know everything, but another part of her wished not to know about it as she couldn't help but feel afraid. What she was afraid of, she wasn't sure._

_Kazumi looked at her little niece thoughtfully. After thinking it over, he had no choice but to tell her about the danger they would face in the future. Even though he tried to hide it, it wouldn't last long as sooner or later, he had to tell her everything about this academy and about her parents. He would tell her about this academy for now as it was necessary to help Aoi._

_"Do you know anything about Persona?" he started._

_She had asked Suichi-nii-chan a similar question before the Reo incident. "The Dangerous Ability Class teacher?"_

_He nodded in confirmation and then asked, "How did you know about him?"_

_That was a difficult question. She was debating whether she should tell her uncle she knew the teacher because of Natsume or not._

_While playing with the hem of her skirt, she answered, "I knew about him because of Natsume. I always accidentally saw him with Natsume. I didn't know what they were talking about, but whenever Persona came, Natsume would leave with him afterwards. I was just wondering why, so I asked S__h__uichi-nii-chan about it before the Reo incident…"_

_She didn't notice how her uncle cringed as she mentioned Reo's name._

_He wouldn't deny that he didn't like to be reminded of that incident. Because of Reo, he almost lost her. Luckily, she returned to him without serious injuries._

_Confused, she looked up at him. "Uncle Kazumi?"_

_He blinked and sighed as he just realised that his hold on her had tightened. "I'm sorry."_

_Shaking her head, she looked at him worriedly. "It's okay. Are you alright, O—Uncle Kazumi?"_

_His eyes widened slightly. He looked at her in disbelief. Did she try to call him "Otou-san" just now?_

_She gave herself a mental slap as she almost called her uncle "Otou-san." Looking down at her hands lying in her lap, she hoped that he didn't notice her slip._

_His lips tugged upward as he saw his little niece's nervous face. He knew that she was thinking he would be upset if he heard her. Fortunately for her, he wasn't upset, but rather, he was happy. He pulled her closer into his arms and hugged her small frame._

_After a moment she hugged him back._

_He leaned down to her ear. "I wouldn't mind hav__ing__ you as my daughter, Mikan."_

_Still hugging him, she looked up at him in surprise. She then grinned before embracing him again._

_"Arigatou… Otou-san." Her voice was muffled as her face was buried in his chest._

_Even though today was a day that she had to keep another secret, she was happy. She not only got the chance to call Subaru-nii-chan her own older brother, but also she got the chance to call her uncle as her own father._

_Kazumi was beyond happy as Mikan called him "Otou-san."_

_Mikan broke the hug and waited for her uncle to continue whatever he was trying to say._

_"The Dangerous Ability Class has a purpose," he began again and carefully told his little niece and daughter about the existence of the class. He told her about Principal Kuonji, who used the students for his own purposes by threatening them, and until their loved ones returned to them, they would be controlled by the principal._

_To say she was shocked would be an understatement. She had never thought that Natsume's little sister Aoi was actually in the academy. She felt as though her head was spinning when her uncle told her everything about the Dangerous Ability Class's secret. She had never known that Natsume was actually forced to work for the Elementary School Principal. She tried to connect what she heard from Reo, and it made sense to her now. Something must have happened in the past which made Natsume join the academy._

_"You want me to help Aoi." It was a statement rather than a question._

_"Yes."_

_"Where is she?"_

_"The Flower Palace."_

_Her eyes widened. "Hii-sama's palace…"_

_He nodded in confirmation._

_"But why? I don't understand. Why would Hii-sama help Principal Kuonji?"_

_"Hii-sama did what Principal Kuonji wanted because we believed it was not the time to take him down yet."_

_"Be their friends if you couldn't defeat your enemy," she mumbled more to herself than to her uncle._

_Kazumi's eyebrows rose up in surprise. What his little daughter said just now was a tactic in battle. When she learned it he didn't know._

_"So? What should I do?" She gazed at her uncle and waited for an answer._

_"I sent a letter to Hii-sama about it, and she has agreed to let you go to her palace once again."_

_"When? Today?" she asked excitedly. She was nervous but excited at the same time. She was determined to help Aoi as soon as possible._

_"I'm afraid you will have to wait."_

_Her shoulders slumped._

_He smiled. "You may see Hii-sama after the Culture Festival."_

She opened her eyes and stared at the balcony before her. The sky was full with twinkling stars. She wished to get up and see the stars, but she was too tired. It was her mind that was tired as she had received a lot of information today. She closed her eyes again and then snuggled closer to the pillow. She sighed as she smelled her boyfriend's scent. Her thoughts before falling into her slumber were centred on none other than Natsume.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	23. Chapter 23—Mission: Aoi Hyuuga

**Original Posting Date:** 13 Mar 2010

-:-

**Chapter 23**

-:-

_This is just great,_ Mikan thought sarcastically to herself. Getting herself glued to her own boyfriend wasn't bad if the said boyfriend wasn't grumpy. Well, it couldn't be helped as she didn't know how to help without getting herself in trouble.

It was because of Koko, who brought the sticky balls to the stage, that the disaster occurred. Everything would have been in a mess if it hadn't been for her quick thinking to grab everyone in the vicinity of the explosion and teleport them away. The problem should have ended there, but she wasn't lucky enough to avoid one ball, just one ball. By the time she realised it, it was already too late. Thus, the one she grabbed last had stuck with her, and that was her infamous boyfriend Natsume.

"Good job, little girl." His face revealed nothing but annoyance.

"I said I was sorry." Tears of frustration were threatening to come out. It wasn't like she asked for this to happen.

An inaudible sigh escaped his lips. He knew trouble was his little girlfriend's best friend. "I'm not upset."

"You are." She pouted.

Running his fingers in his hair, he heaved another sigh. Since they were alone in the dressing room, he grabbed a hold of her face. Caressing it lightly, he murmured, "Don't act so recklessly next time."

She looked up at him. His eyes were no longer void of emotions, and he was giving her the same look of worry that her uncle always gave whenever she was in trouble. Looking down at her lap guiltily, she muttered, "I'm sorry for worrying you."

He answered by hugging her close.

Happy that he had forgiven her, she hugged him back tightly even though it was kind of difficult with their hands glued together.

As they broke apart, she inquired, "Where were you last night?"

"None of your concern," he replied tonelessly.

She should be angry by the way he replied, but she didn't push the matter further. If he didn't want to tell her, she would let him be. After all, she did hide things from him, too. Moreover, she already knew how he got injured last night. Somewhere around midnight, he returned with several minor injuries. Exhaustion was no longer a question, so she didn't ask anything and let him rest. By morning, he was already well enough to fetch Youichi.

The cheer of the audience was their cue to leave the dressing room. They should have been backstage to watch Youichi's performance, but she was exhausted from using her Teleportation Alice to help everyone escape the chaos.

"Are you alright?" he asked before opening the door.

She beamed cheerfully. "Yep. I'm fine now."

With that, they left the dressing room.

* * *

Narumi-sensei gave his trademark smile to everyone. "Good job, everyone!"

He turned to Mikan. "And you, too, Mikan-chan. Without you, the play would not be going this well."

Mikan blushed prettily as everyone thanked her. "It's nothing. I'm glad that I could help."

Youichi ran to her side and hugged her legs. "Are you alright, Onee-chan?"

Unable to resist his cute face, Mikan grinned. "Don't worry, You-chan; Onee-chan is perfectly fine." Ruffling his silver hair, she suggested, "Do you want to go to Central Town after this?"

After getting a nod from him, they left for the dressing room. As soon they were done, they met up with Ruka and the rest.

"Good work, Ruka-pyon." She grinned widely.

Ruka flushed. Of course, he knew she was teasing him because he was acting as Snow White. Even Hotaru was taking his embarrassing moments during the play. His best friend's smirk didn't help his situation either.

Since she received no answer from Ruka, she smiled. "I really meant it, Ruka-pyon."

Catching her honest expression, Ruka smiled back. "Thank you, Sakura-san."

Feeling his hold tighten around hers, Mikan sneaked a glance at her boyfriend. She resisted the urge to nudge him when he ignored her. When she looked away, she met Hotaru's eyes and froze. Gulping nervously, she averted her eyes. It was clear from Hotaru's eyes that she demanded answers, but she wasn't ready to give even one. After talking to Subaru-nii-san yesterday, she had decided she would tell Hotaru that she couldn't share anything with her at this moment. Hopefully, Hotaru would understand she didn't hide things from her purposely.

For some reason, Natsume refused to let her go after the effect of the sticky ball was over. It wasn't that she didn't like it, but it became unbearable when everyone stared at them. Everything went downright embarrassing when someone said she and Natsume looked like Youichi's parents. Suddenly, she caught sight of Subaru-nii-san. The eye contact only lasted for a full minute, but she caught the message nonetheless. Uncle Kazumi was looking for her. Why so suddenly? She honestly had no idea. Their conversation yesterday had ended without interruption, so there shouldn't be any problems.

"Natsume, I have to go," she said to him.

Even though she didn't give any reason to leave, he let her go, albeit reluctantly.

"Onee-chan?" asked Youichi with confused expression.

Giving the silver-haired boy a tender smile, she replied, "I'm sorry, You-chan; Onee-chan has to go now."

His young green eyes showed understanding. "Alright…"

"I'll see you again at dinner. Is that alright with you?" she bargained softly.

He nodded his little head in reply.

After giving him a kiss on his brow, she bid, "See you tonight, You-chan."

She was well aware that Hotaru's eyes were on her, so she promised herself to talk to her after dinner. As she said goodbyes to everyone, she immediately made her way to see Uncle Kazumi.

The room was quiet except for the occasional sound of shuffling papers.

"If I may say something, Principal Yukihira," Jinno-sensei, who stood at the right side of Kazumi, began. Upon receiving a nod from the still-working principal, he said, "Won't it be better after the Culture Festival is over?"

Kazumi stopped working momentarily before answering, "Everyone's attention is on the Culture Festival."

Before Jinno-sensei could say another words, Kazumi went on, "I know you are worried about Persona, but I have faith in my little daughter."

The spectacled teacher remained silent. It was true that Mikan's father had changed Persona, or should he say Rei, for good until Principal Kuonji tainted his mind. Soft footsteps echoed through the almost empty library before Mikan appeared before them. While looking at her happy smile, he pondered to himself, _Could it be Principal Yukihira is hoping Mikan could do the same as her father?_

No one held the answer of that, for now.

"Otou-san, you called?" Mikan said after hugging her uncle and father.

Kazumi answered her by offering a letter with a flower stamp, and Mikan's eyes widened immediately. "Now?"

Although Kazumi didn't like letting her go to the lion's mouth, he would have to do it sooner or later. "After a few considerations from Hii-sama, it's safer for you to go now."

Mikan gulped silently. Although she was excited that she could finally meet Aoi, she was still afraid of whom she was going to face. Moments passed before she replied, "Alright. I'm ready."

As soon as his little daughter agreed, he nodded towards Jinno-sensei, who opened the door for Shizune. Knowing Mikan's character, the Technical Class Representative had been waiting for Mikan outside. Before he could say a word, Mikan already hugged him tightly. He hugged her small frame before kissing the crown of her head and whispered, "Good luck, Mikan."

"I'll do my best, Otou-san," she muttered before releasing the hug and left with Shizune.

No matter how many times she came to the Flower Palace, she always liked it. Although the palace wasn't full of flowers as she thought at first, she liked the design. The designer of this place sure knew what she/he was doing. It always reminded her of a real palace in which princes and princesses lived. Realising her mind was wandering, she shook herself awake. Her heartbeat quickened as they neared the main hall. Shizune-nee-san slid open the paper sliding door and allowed her to go in first. As she stepped inside the room, she smiled widely when her eyes met with Hii-sama's. "Good day, Hii-sama."

Hii-sama smiled with dreamy eyes. "Good day, Mikan Princess."

Mikan laughed nervously, and Shizune-nee-san cleared her throat. "Hii-sama, please control yourself."

Hii-sama blinked before apologising, "Ah, I'm sorry. I just can't help myself whenever I look at beautiful little girls like her."

Mikan sweat dropped while Shizune remained quiet.

"I already prepared everything for you, Mikan Princess. You will become one of my maids for a few hours."

Shocked, Mikan's eyes widened. "M-maid?"

"Of course, I will pay for your service even though I already have enough maids."

Fortunately for Mikan, who was at a loss, Shizune cut in, "Hii-sama, I'm afraid you haven't explained to her why she needs to become one of your maids."

"Ah, I can't let anyone but maids go near Aoi to avoid suspicions from _him_."

Mikan understood immediately and nodded.

Hii-sama smiled and turned to Shizune. "Shizune, please assist her."

"Yes, Hii-sama."

Just before Mikan got up from her sitting position, she looked up at Hii-sama and gave a small bow. "Thank you, Hii-sama."

Hii-sama's eyes softened. "You're welcome, Mikan Princess." _It's nothing since I owe your mother a lot._

Once Mikan stood up, Hii-sama added, "Please, Mikan Princess, don't wander alone. Ask the maid to accompany you if you need to go somewhere."

Mikan nodded with a smile. "I promise I won't wander alone."

As the two students left, Hii-sama sipped her tea and murmured, "She's so like you, Yuka…"

Mikan never had breathing problems while wearing kimonos until today. One of the maids had helped her into the uniform. When she was asked to take a deep breath and hold it for awhile, her hell began as the obi tied securely and tightly around her waist. Once again, Shizune-nee-san came to her rescue when she saw her slightly paled face and scolded said maid. It seemed the maid was afraid that she would lose her job since a newcomer, which was Mikan, had come. After the misunderstanding was cleared, the maid apologised profusely and re-tied the obi so she could breathe easier.

Mikan smiled. "No, no, it's okay. You just didn't know that my stay here is temporary. Moreover, Hii-sama already has enough maids."

The maid smiled. "I see. Once again, I'm sorry that I did something horrible to you."

Mikan shook her head. "If you agree to show me the way whenever I'm here, I'll forgive you."

Kimie grinned. "Count on me. My name is Kimie, and you are?"

"Sakura." Mikan smiled. Shizune-nee-san had instructed her not to tell her real name, for now.

"Alright then… It's time to deliver Aoi-chan's meal. Coming with me?"

Mikan tried to calm her erratic heartbeat as she replied with a smile, "Show the way please."

While making their way through many halls, they chatted quietly. Sometimes, they giggled when Mikan told Kimie something funny. It was hard to believe, but they quickly became friends. Although Mikan was not entirely lying, she felt a little bit bad for not telling Kimie her real name. When she was about to ask if they were there yet, Kimie stopped at a sliding door which revealed stairs to underground. Mikan had memorised the way to here, so that she could come here herself, but Hii-sama's words suddenly echoed in her mind, so she shook her head and chastised herself, _Don't forget your promise, Mikan! You can't break anyone's trust on you. If you do, Otou-san won't forgive you. Remember that!_

"Kimie-san…"

"Don't be so formal, call me Kimie."

"Kimie… do you always deliver meals to this Aoi-chan?"

"Yes, yes, I do."

"For how long?"

Kimie hummed. "Since I start working here, but I heard from other maids, Aoi-chan has been here before I came here."

"Oh…"

"Before I forget, please don't try to talk to Aoi-chan."

Mikan blinked. "Why?"

Kimie shrugged. "That is my instruction after I got this job. Apparently, the previous maid before me was 'fired' because she tried to be friends with Aoi-chan."

Before Mikan could say another word, they reached the last step.

"We're here," Kimie announced quietly.

Following Kimie closely with the tray of food, she scanned her eyes around. Her heart clenched when she realised it was some kind of cell. Aoi-chan was treated like a prisoner here.

Soon enough, a soft voice came within the furthest cell. "Kimie?"

Mikan raised an eyebrow at Kimie, who smiled nervously before whispering, "Name only."

"Yes, Aoi-chan. It's me, Kimie," replied Kimie as they reached Aoi's cell.

Suddenly, Mikan felt like crying. She knew Aoi-chan was blind, but still… _Why is she here and not in the hospital?_

When she asked Otou-san, he had told her that Principal Kuonji was afraid Aoi would run away even though she was blind. The one who kept the key was Persona, or Rei Serio, the Dangerous Ability Class's teacher. If she wanted to free Aoi-chan, she had to get close to Persona. That was her mission to come here; to get the key. And in order to do that, she would have to gain Persona's trust, which was kind of impossible for her to do, but she didn't want to lose hope. They said you won't know until you try, right?

"Your meal is here, Aoi-chan," Mikan said softly after Kimie opened a small window in the cell to push the tray in.

If Aoi-chan wasn't blind, Mikan would be able to see the spark of happiness in them as she smiled. "You're new. What's your name?"

Without waiting for Kimie's approval, Mikan said, "Sakura is my name, Aoi-chan. Nice to meet you."

"I'm so happy to meet you, Sakura-chan." Aoi's smile never wavered. "C-can I touch your face?"

Before Mikan could get closer, Kimie pulled her and shook her head.

A sigh escaped her lips. "I'm sorry, Aoi-chan. Maybe next time…"

Aoi's smile faltered a bit before beaming at her. "Promise?"

Though Aoi couldn't see it, Mikan smiled tenderly towards her. "I promise."

"Until next time then, Sakura-chan."

"Yes… until next time."

With that, they left Aoi-chan alone.

Upon reaching the main ground, Kimie said, "I feel sorry for Aoi-chan. That is why I told her my name. You will get lonely when you're alone by yourself down there."

Mikan hummed. "Yeah…"

"Hopefully, she won't be there forever."

"She won't," she whispered to herself. Determinations filled her eyes. _You will see, Kimie. I'm going to save Aoi-chan soon._

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	24. Chapter 24—Introduction: Rei Serio

**Original Posting Date:** 22 May 2011

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**Chapter 24**

-:-

Tension filled the room as Mikan waited for Hotaru to say something. After dinner, she had invited Hotaru to her room so that they could talk.

"I can believe you now." It was a question rather than a statement.

"It's not my right to demand such a thing from you."

Hotaru couldn't believe her ears. The way her best friend talked was so unlike the Mikan she knew. Her best friend would not rely on her forever; she knew that much, but still… "How?"

Slightly confused, Mikan looked at her best friend.

"How come you and my brother…"

It seemed Hotaru had guessed how close she was with her brother. During her meeting with Subaru-nii-san a few days ago, she was aware that Hotaru had followed her. That was why she consulted with Subaru-nii-san about her. Heaving a silent sigh, she elaborated, "Subaru-nii-san has often helped me since I started training with Noda-sensei." _and S__h__uichi-nii-san._

Mikan felt as though her head might actually blow up soon for keeping too many secrets. She absent-mindedly suggested herself to consult with her uncle. It wouldn't be too much for her if she shared her secret with someone.

Hotaru contemplated her situation and remembered how the tables had turned. Before, she was the one who was leaving Mikan in the dark and only telling her everything at the last minute. She inwardly laughed at herself. How ironic.

"Hotaru, I would have told you everything if I could." It wouldn't solve the problem, but at least, Hotaru knew she did not willingly do this. Both of them didn't have a choice in what was happening.

"I understand."

Mikan looked at Hotaru gratefully. "Thank you, Hotaru."

A companionable silence settled between them.

"What about you and Hyuuga?"

Mikan blushed red. "What about us?"

Hotaru threw a blatant look at her.

Mikan gazed away. "It was only a few days ago…"

Thankfully, Hotaru didn't ask for details. A thought crossed her mind, and she grinned at her best friend. "What about you and Ruka-pyon?"

Mikan didn't miss the surprise in Hotaru's eyes. "It's not Nogi anymore, huh?"

Hotaru's answer was a bullet from her Baka Gun. Luckily for Mikan, it wasn't the upgraded one.

With that, their friendship was back to the way it was.

-:-

Standing beside Hotaru, Mikan secretly studied Principal Kuonji during the closing ceremony of the Cultural Festival. Before, she would only smile to herself while keeping her eyes on her father once in a while, but now, she would keep her attention solely on the bad guy. _He_ was the bad guy because he took Aoi-chan from her boyfriend. Even if Natsume was not her boyfriend, she would gladly help Aoi-chan. The crimson-eyed girl was not supposed to be in the academy since she was not an Alice.

"Mikan?"

She blinked before turning to her best friend. "Yes?"

"Are you trying to tell everyone about your relationship with him?" Hotaru murmured quietly.

Mikan sweat dropped as she was finally aware that her classmates were eyeing her and Natsume. She smacked her forehead mentally. Everyone was thinking she was staring at Natsume, who was sitting not far from the bad guy. Laughing nervously, she animatedly rubbed the back of her head as she looked at the class sheepishly. "I'm actually looking at the guy who's dressed oddly like some kind of general, not Natsume." _I'm so sorry, Otou-san! I have to use you to cover the truth._

"Ah, that is our High School Principal; beside him is the Middle School Principal, followed by the Elementary School Principal," Yuu explained.

"Oh," she replied casually. The others seemed to believe her short lie, and she was fine with that. She then briefly smiled at her boyfriend who caught her gaze. As usual, he remained emotionless in return.

_That is his way of protecting everyone he loves_, she thought to herself. At a moment like this, she wished she could tell him that he was not alone and that he shouldn't carry the burden alone. Determination filled her eyes as she mentally vowed, _Don't worry, Natsume; I will rescue Aoi-chan as soon as I can._

-:-

The after-party dance was finally with them. And once again, her feet were killing her. Since her Ability Class had found out about her new Ability Class, most of them wanted to dance with her. She couldn't refuse them now, could she? After all, it was her fault for not telling them sooner. Well, she wanted to tell them, but it would ruin their happy moments, so she had kept silent until this morning. Ah, she forgot to mention her boyfriend's piercing glare whenever she danced with them, too, especially Tsubasa-senpai, who was thankfully her last partner. It was Misaki-senpai, who took her place after they finished their dance. Hastily, she left the crowd and made her way to where her boyfriend was. She just knew he was there because she had seen him leave.

He knew his girlfriend was coming but didn't bother to acknowledge her until she was about to sit down beside him. "Don't."

Without warning, he pulled her wrist so that she fell into his lap. He caged her with his knee on one side and an arm around her waist.

"What are you doing?" she hissed despite her red face.

"Your gown," he stated shortly.

Realization dawned on her as she answered, "Oh."

Soon, she relaxed into his arms, and all her worries left her. For the past few weeks, her days were quite hectic. Come to think of it, it hadn't been a year since she came to Alice Academy. Each day was never dull; being reunited with Hotaru, meeting new friends, finding her uncle who had become her father, discovering her Alices, and then being unintentionally kidnapped by Reo. Let's not forget about finding a boyfriend, too. She smiled upon the thoughts.

Noticing her smile, he tightened his hold around her waist. "What were you thinking about?"

She beamed at him. "Nothing important, just recalling how I got myself into this position… with you."

They didn't know who made the first move, but their faces were close enough to touch the other while they gazed into each other's eyes.

Their eye contact didn't break even after he muttered, "Kiss me."

She blinked at his request because it was the same as his first order when she became his slave. At that time, he was only teasing her, so she believed this time would be no different. Thus, she giggled, entirely ruining their romantic moment.

He narrowed his eyes. "Stop that."

Through her mirth, she shook her head. "I won't fall for your tricks anymo—"

Her eyes widened as his lips sealed hers. Shocked, she pushed him away before blushing like a tomato. She wanted to be mad at him, but he made her speechless when he caressed her cheek with tender eyes.

Too bad for her, it didn't last long as he smirked. "Do you want more?"

_The nerve!_ She huffed. "You wish!"

He chuckled before replying, "Yes, I do wish for more."

"Oh, please!" She flushed prettily. Pushing herself up from his lap, she turned and offered a hand. "Dance with me, then… then I'll _consider_."

Her blush made him smile inwardly. He then shrugged mentally. There was no harm in dancing with his girlfriend, so why not? Besides, her partner for the last dance should be him. He got up and pulled her close before moving as one with the song to guide them. In the distance, they heard Hotaru, the Newcomer Queen, name Ruka as her partner for the last dance. Both smiled at the announcement before turning back to each other. All too soon, the music ended.

As they pulled apart, he raised an eyebrow. "So?"

Mikan tried her best not to blush heavily as she might actually faint from getting too hot because of embarrassment. Nevertheless, she looked up at him. While looking into his crimson eyes, she breathed out, "Alright…"

She blushed some more. "But! You have to close your eyes."

The urge to smile was unbearable, yet he withheld it, lest she change her mind. Without offering any answer, he closed his eyes. In no longer than a minute, he felt her lips on his. As soon as she broke the kiss, he pulled her close and captured her lips once more as the colourful fireworks lightened the night sky.

-:-

First semester exams had finally begun. After knowing her identity as the High School Principal's niece, she had been _unknowingly_ studying with the help of Jinno-sensei and Misaki-sensei, so she didn't have problems with the tests. Ah, she wanted to see her Jii-chan, but she knew Yuu had been trying so hard to get the best student award, so she would stay just behind him. Test after test, she did it without thinking as though she had been doing it every single day. However, the day went downhill when Serio made his appearance as the substitute teacher for Makihara-sensei. She tried to stay indifferent as best as she could when their eyes met. As soon as the test was over, she sighed in relief. That man was just downright scary, and to be honest, he was scarier than Principal Kuonji. She shut her eyes tightly.

_Kimie was ill. Thus, she had to deliver Aoi's meal by herself. Thankfully, she had already memorised the way and didn't have to bother other maids to accompany her. Of course, she would use this chance wisely to talk to Aoi. Her father had told her that Aoi had no memories of Natsume and what she did before coming to this academy. Well, she knew her uncle wouldn't lie to her, but she needed to know exactly what Aoi remembered so far. As she reached the last step to the underground dungeon, she approached Aoi's cell quietly._

_"Kimie? Sakura-chan?" Aoi guessed while looking at her general direction._

_A sad smile appeared on her lips. "It's me, Aoi-chan."_

_Aoi recognised her voice immediately. "Sakura-chan!"_

_"Yes," she replied while pushing the tray over to her._

_"Where is Kimie?" the crimson-eyed girl asked tentatively._

_"Kimie has taken leave due to sickness. Don't worry; it's not serious." She added the last part because of the concern on Aoi's face._

_To be honest, she felt a bit rude for watching Aoi eat her meal, but she was tempted to start her own investigation. "Aoi-chan?"_

_Aoi hummed in response._

_"How long have you been here?"_

_She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan."_

_Confused, she asked, "Eh? Why?"_

_"Actually, I don't remember how long I have been here. If you want to know, you need to ask my onii-chan."_

_Before she could form another question, she felt his presence._

_"Aoi."_

_His voice was enough to send chills down her spine as she gulped nervously._

_"Onii-chan!" A big smile was spread on Aoi's face._

_As much as she wanted to tell the truth to Aoi, she shut her mouth. It was not time yet, and she needed to act carefully. Otherwise, she would endanger herself, or worse, Aoi in the process. Failing her rescue mission was unacceptable. Though her father didn't say she had to success, she wouldn't forgive herself if she failed. Without haste, she spoke, "Have a good day, Aoi-chan. I shall return with your dinner later."_

_She didn't have the chance to retreat as Aoi replied, "Oh, before you go, please meet my onii-chan. Onii-chan, meet my new friend, Sakura-chan."_

_If she could, she would have teleported away immediately. Not bothering to look up at him, she saluted with a bow of her head, "Please to make your acquaintance, Aoi's onii-chan."_

_"…"_

_"If you will excuse me," she said, still keeping her head down._

_As soon as she turned away from them, she refrained from running as her mind was screaming danger._

_"Wait."_

_His voice was much colder than Natsume's. She stopped in her tracks and willed to herself to remain calm by taking a deep, silent breath. It would not help her if she showed fear to this man. Furthermore, she needed to get close to him in order to save Aoi. This might be her opportunity to introduce herself. She closed her eyes when she saw his ringed finger hook her chin to reveal her face. Then, her eyelids fluttered open to meet his cold crimson eyes. It never crossed her mind that the man before her would have the same crimson eyes as her boyfriend. Well, it didn't really matter. She cringed inwardly when he traced his nail against her right cheek._

_"Are you the only one who delivers Aoi's meal?"_

_"My partner is sick."_

_"She might as well stay sick," he murmured more to himself than her._

_She decided not to comment on that. "My apologies, but I have other things to attend to."_

_He released her then but not before leaning down to her ear and whispered, "Serio is my name, Mikan-chan."_

_Panic filled her heart, but she didn't show it in her eyes._

_Finally, he pulled away. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mikan-chan."_

_"The pleasure is mine, Serio-nii-san," she replied emotionlessly._

_A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes before he smirked. "Until next time, Mikan…"_

_As soon as she reached the top of the stairs, she teleported herself to the main hall in hopes of finding Hii-sama. She wasn't disappointed as the Middle School Principal was already waiting for her. Apparently, the woman already knew she had encountered Serio. After telling her what happened, Hii-sama had given her permission to roam the Flower Palace as she saw fit and do what she had planned to do._

"Mikan?"

She snapped her eyes open. "Yes, Hotaru?"

Her amethyst eyes reflected her unspoken question.

Offering her best friend a smile, she replied, "I'm fine. Just a little tired from these tests."

Soon, she saw Natsume leave his seat, undoubtedly to follow after Serio. Her boyfriend might never tell her anything and think her to be dense, but unfortunately for him, she was not, not anymore since she met her uncle and father.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	25. Chapter 25—Secret: Flower Palace

**Original Posting Date:** 27 Jul 2011

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**Chapter 25**

-:-

The school ground was quite deserted, so it was safe for him to talk. Natsume glared at the man before him. "What are you trying to pull, Persona?"

Persona merely glanced at him as if to mock the boy. "You have grown soft. _He_ asked me to ascertain the cause."

Natsume clenched his fists. He wished not to be reminded by him out of all people.

"Somehow, I know why you can't resist the little flower."

_Flower?_ His eyebrows knitted in suspicion. Persona had never called a girl a flower before. When what Persona said finally sunk in, panic filled his senses. The look on Persona's face twisted his gut even more so since a sinister smile had settled on his face.

"It's a pity that you think you're protecting her."

"What do you mean by that? What are you trying to say?"

Persona didn't spare him another glance and left without answering his questions, and he honestly couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling the man had left him with. It reminded him of the time they were kidnapped by Reo. He shook his head mentally to banish the thoughts. Yet… he needed to know the truth. Mikan had never questioned his whereabouts after the mission as though… she knew where he had gone to. The look on her face should have been enough to tell him that, but he turned a blind eye and told himself that she stayed quiet because it was a normal occurrence.

Much to his chagrin, he didn't know his own girlfriend as much as he thought he did. Mikan didn't bother to look for him when the last test of the day ended. Well, he wouldn't blame her because they couldn't be found together all the time. Thus, he had been following her after she parted ways with Imai. Speculations were made. Questions kept flooding into his mind. He couldn't move his eyes from her retreating form to the Flower Palace. What was she doing there? Since he came to this academy, he had always guessed that that was the place where they had taken Aoi to. He waited, waited and waited until she came out. When she did, she was not alone. She was with one of the school representatives Shizune Yamanouchi.

"Shizune-nee-san, thank you for walking me back here." Mikan smiled as soon as they reached the front yard of Hii-sama's Palace.

The spectacled senior returned her smile with a small one. "I'm just doing what Hii-sama asked of me."

Mikan shifted nervously as the older girl gave her a serious look. "What is it?"

"He's here, Mikan-chan," she stated quietly.

It took her a minute to know whom she was talking about. She remained calm, though inwardly, she was panicking. "Could he have been following me? I'm truly so—"

"Don't be. If it wasn't for Hii-sama's barrier, I, too, wouldn't have known. Moreover, he's trained to remain hidden from the enemy."

Mikan cringed inwardly as she remembered Natsume had gone through many dangerous missions. If only she could help him. She was more than worried when she learned his type of Alice, too. A thought to take his place had crossed her mind before, but she doubted her father would appreciate her dangerous idea.

"You can't tell him anything," reminded the short-haired senpai before going back inside.

Mikan kept her face as normal as possible as she left the Palace and returned to her room. However, before she could reach her room, a hand captured her wrist, and she was steered to the next door. Soon, she found herself pinned against the door. After a moment of silence, she softly called, "Natsume?"

She jumped and shut her eyes when he slammed his fist next to her face. Her heart was beating furiously against her chest at his sudden display of strength. Upon opening her eyes, she met his angry and frustrated crimson eyes. For a moment he seemed desperate before he gazed at her with a silent plea.

"What were you doing in there?" he murmured.

He didn't give her a chance to open her mouth as he added, "Don't lie to me."

Just a few days ago, she talked about something similar to Hotaru. It had gone bad the first time. Luckily for her, she knew what to do now. She refused to make the same mistake. Subaru-nii-san's advice had come in handy; she would have to thank him during their next meeting. Mikan looked away from him. "I can't tell you anything, Natsume." _Not until you can confide in me._

A humorless laugh escaped him. "So, you're returning the favour because I don't tell you everything?"

Shocked, she turned to him. "What? I didn't mea—"

"You don't trust me. That's why you can't tell me!" His voice raised an octave before he could stop himself.

Her face turned red. She was livid beyond words. "How dare you!"

He kicked himself mentally, but the damage was done. Why couldn't he control his anger better? He had a great hold of his emotions before. Maybe Persona was right; he had grown soft. He tried his best to remain unaffected by her anger.

"Just because I'm your girlfriend, it doesn't mean you have the right to speak to me like that!"

"…"

"_You_ are the one who doesn't trust me! I told you… I'll be waiting…" Her voice grew soft. "You can tell me when you're ready… Why can't you do the same for me?"

As he saw the tears form in her eyes, he flinched mentally. He didn't mean to make her cry. Her anger was something he could take, but her tears? No, he couldn't take that well. She didn't protest when he pulled her into his arms. He suddenly felt so stupid for upsetting her. Perhaps he was more afraid than he admitted to himself. He was afraid of losing her. In the darkness of his life, she was his light. Her presence alone could take away his worries. After pressing his cheek against hers, he muttered, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

She accepted his apology by hugging him back. They held onto each other for a while. He broke the embrace. Despite her tear-stained face, she was still beautiful. Holding the back of her neck, he nudged her to look up at him. When she did, he crushed her lips with his in a kiss. Rather than shying away like their first kiss, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. Slowly, instinct took over as he nipped her cherry lips. They started off a bit clumsily, but they eventually made it like a dance. Seconds passed by and their kiss grew more intense and more urgent. The need of air was close, and they had no choice but to break apart. They remained close while trying to catch their breath.

Still holding her close, his mind wandered again. Would things get complicated if he told her everything? Should he confess now that she held secrets of her own? To be honest, he wished to know everything. All this time, he was the one who had been keeping secrets. Was this how it felt when someone you loved hid things from you? He was brought back from his thoughts when he felt her hand on his cheek.

"Natsume?"

Shaking his head, he softly murmured, "It's nothing."

A sigh was her reply.

"…"

"To be honest, I have a lot of things to tell you, Natsume… but…" she trailed off.

Cupping her face, he brought his lips to her temple, brushing them against her soft skin. "It's okay. I'm not ready to tell you everything either."

Her arms wrapped around him. "Thank you."

There was a big chance that someone had told her everything about his secrets. The question was who told? Ruka would be impossible since his best friend didn't know the details of what he did for the school. As they pulled apart, he gazed into her pale brown eyes, trying to find answers to his endless questions. Too bad for him, his girlfriend was as good as him when it came to staying indifferent. Her eyes never belied her true feelings, unlike the first time she came here. Now that he thought about it. Somehow, Mikan had changed along the way, and since the changes was too subtle, he didn't notice it immediately. Really, he didn't know if that was a good or bad thing. On the other hand, it might be good because Persona wouldn't be able to read her. Persona… that name brought back the uneasiness he felt earlier.

_"It's a pity that you think you're protecting her."_

What did he mean by that? Did Persona try to tell him that Mikan was the one who was protecting him at this very moment? It sounded that Mikan was putting herself in danger for him. No, he refused to think of the worse scenario. Yet, he would have to be prepared should that be the case. He shook his head mentally to throw away his bad thoughts. Honestly, because of Persona, negative thoughts were what he was having all day. It would be best for him to stop thinking about that. Now, all he needed to do was to tell her everything and there would be no more guessing. Caressing her cheek, he muttered, "Stay."

A smile blossomed on her lips as she nodded.

Soon, he would tell her everything. Soon, he told himself.

-:-

The test result was not unexpected. She scored second place after Iinchou. If only they knew that she purposely let him be first. Father Kazumi was here, so she had no reason to go back even though she did miss Jii-chan. But, Iinchou, who came here earlier than her, deserved to go home. As soon as homeroom ended, she left the classroom. Once she was outside, she teleported herself to her father's office. Father Kazumi didn't look so surprised to see her. In fact, he seemed as if he had been expecting her. He opened his arms, and she gladly accepted his invitation, running into his arms immediately. Burying her face in his chest, she felt his hold tighten around her. The comfort of his arms was what calmed her the most. They remained like that for several moments. Neither spoke a word.

"Father…" she muttered, still hugging him close.

He hummed softly. "I'm listening."

"I know it will be dangerous, but… don't you think it will be better if I work for Principal Kuonji?"

His suddenly tense body was enough to tell her that he didn't like her idea. Nevertheless, she went on, "If I work for him, it will be easier for us to bring him down…"

Kazumi was having a war with himself. It was too early. He was not ready to let his little daughter go and face the danger, which would inevitably come for her. On the other hand, this cruel charade involving Principal Kuonji might be over sooner if he let her do what she deemed right. Years ago, he had decided to wait, but what did it cost him? The death of his own little brother.

She waited for her father's answer anxiously.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Mikan. Your mother is working for AAO as we speak. You will cross path with her if you decide to join Kuonji. Moreover, I do not wish to put your life on the line. For now, I need you to stay focused on releasing Aoi."

The subject was dropped just like that. Mikan knew that she couldn't push the idea since it would gain her nothing but her father's displeasure. Though she loved her Jii-chan as family, Father Kazumi was her real family, one who shared blood with her, and she didn't wish to upset him by going against his word. Finally, they pulled apart, but she was sitting on his lap. "I met Serio-san the other day."

"And?" he urged gently.

"Aoi-chan introduced us, and I called him 'nii-san'."

"Hmmm… Do you think you can gain his trust?"

"I'm not sure. He's quite scary…"

Kazumi smiled. "My younger brother was able to change him for the better, so I know you will do just fine."

"I do hope so, Father." Mikan sighed. She, of course, had heard how Serio was not as bad as now. Serio was just like any other child with a dangerous Alice who didn't know what to do, but he changed drastically after the evil principal brainwashed him, which made her fatherless. As much as she wanted to blame Serio for her father's death, she couldn't. It was not his fault that he couldn't control his Mark of Death Alice. She could only hope that she would be able to find the good side of Serio as betraying someone's trust was not what she wanted to do even though it was not for personal gain. Guilt would follow her for the rest of her life even if she would be forgiven.

"Natsume knew I had been to the Flower Palace…" she muttered while lowering her gaze. It was her own fault for not using her Teleportation Alice to avoid being followed. There was no use crying over split milk, but she still felt guilty. She would have to be extra careful next time.

Kazumi gazed at his little daughter solemnly. He knew that it took a great deal of her willpower to keep everything secret, but at this moment, they had no choice. "I'm sorry."

Surprised, she looked up and shook head. "Please don't apologise, Father. I understand that I can't tell him, for now. It's just getting difficult without saying anything. I hope you won't mind that if I talk to you even though you already have enough trouble dealing with the students. I—"

He interrupted her by hugging her close.

She relaxed immediately while hearing her father's strong heartbeat.

"Talk to me about everything, Mikan. You're not alone. And I'm sure Jinno-sensei won't mind lending his ears to you."

After imagining her attempt to chat with Jinno-sensei casually, she giggled. Nope, it was too difficult for her to talk to Jiino-sensei like friends. She was grateful for his help and guidance in her studies, but that was all. She hugged her father. "Anyone else?"

"Perhaps Hii-sama?"

Hearing the Middle School Principal's name, she shuddered. "Definitely not."

Kazumi chuckled in response. Of course, he knew his fellow principal loved to look at and admire young, pretty girls like Mikan. Given time, his little daughter would get used to Hii's strange habit and would open up to her. After all, he himself was aware that Mikan couldn't share everything with him. "What about Yamanouchi-san?"

Mikan pulled away and looked up at her father. "I'm only comfortable with you, Father."

A caring smile appeared on his lips as he brushed her bangs aside and kissed her forehead. "Then you can talk me."

Smiling, Mikan murmured against his chest, "Thank you."

Soon, Mikan talked about her trouble with Hotaru, her conversation with Subaru-nii-san, who helped her a lot, and her trouble with Natsume minus the aftermath. It was embarrassing to share what she did with her boyfriend even though Father Kazumi seemed to know that they were going out. Nevertheless, her intimate moment was something to be shared with her girl friends and her mother… She really hoped she could meet her mother someday. The weight on her shoulders seemed lighter after she talked to her father. If she knew this beforehand, she would have sought him out sooner. Their meeting was ended when Jinno-sensei wished to speak with her father. After giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, she teleported herself back to the school ground. And what greeted her vision were several stuffed animals with a bucket of water.

Through these stuffed animals, she finally met Kaname Sonō, Tsubasa-senpai's best friend. She was surprised to find out that the handsome senior was actually the creator of Bear-san. Earlier, when she met Bear-san, she cringed a bit, remembering how he beat her into a pulp. In actuality, Bear-san didn't hurt her, but he did express his strong dislike for children. Still, she was glad to meet such a wonderful Alice user. However, she was sad when she found out Kaname-senpai had the same type of Alice as Natsume. Despite his poor health and Alice type, Kaname-senpai never stopped making dolls. Somehow, he didn't care what would happen to him as long as he could make the people around him happy. After helping around in Bear-san's cottage, they parted ways.

Dressed in her pyjamas, she stared at the ceiling in her dark room under her blanket. She couldn't catch a wink of sleep since Kaname-senpai's condition reminded her of Natsume. His condition was not getting better because he often used them for his missions. He tried to hide the pain, but she knew better. Closing her eyes, she tried to think of a way to restore Natsume's lifespan. She refused to lose him without doing anything. It might have been an hour later when her father's face suddenly flashed in her closed eyes, and she snapped her eyes open and sat up. Didn't Father Kazumi have Longevity Alice? Maybe she could ask him to share his long life a bit for her boyfriend. She glanced at the clock and groaned. It was already so late. But then, she smiled. There was hope. Still smiling, she lay down and let sleep overtake her. Tomorrow, she would talk to her father about it.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	26. Chapter 26—Secret: Rei Serio

**Original Posting Date:** 02 Mar 2012

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**Chapter 26**

-:-

A sigh of frustration escaped her lips as she let go of the Alice stone in her hand. She had been doing this for hours, but it wouldn't work! Why wouldn't it work? Father Kazumi had even agreed to spare his never ending longevity stones to help her. If she couldn't do this right, she wouldn't able to save Natsume. Tears of frustration started brimming in her eyes.

"Patience, Mikan Princess," chided Hii-sama in a soft, scolding tone.

Mikan snapped her attention to Hii-sama and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's just so…"

"I know." A gentle smile was on her lips. "Even Yuzu Princess couldn't do it right until weeks of practice."

_Mother…_ Mikan thought sadly. "You know, I wish I can meet her, Hii-sama."

The older woman looked at the young girl before her. Even at this young age, she had so many burdens to carry on her tiny shoulders. The world must be ending soon if the adults around her couldn't help her. But then, they truly needed her useful Alices. She herself was hoping to see her mother again. Yuka would be able to assist her daughter with her Alices. Quietly, she closed her fan and reached out to Mikan.

"I'm sure you will meet her someday, Mikan Princess," she said while petting her head for a while.

Mikan let out a grateful smile. "Thank you, Hii-sama."

"So… tell me about your plan for Aoi-chan."

"About that…" she started nervously.

"Yes?"

"Hii-sama…" She bit her lower lip. "Do you really want to let go Aoi-chan without a fight?"

After a short contemplation, Hii-sama replied, "My only role is guarding Aoi-chan in my barrier. If you have Persona's key for her cell, the barrier will dissolve automatically."

Mikan hummed thoughtfully. She knew perfectly that even with her Teleportation and Nullification Alice, she wouldn't be able to penetrate Hii-sama's barrier. Even if she could pass through the barrier, it might difficult for her to get out. Her Alices were not as strong as an adult's yet. Besides, barrier was just like what it stood for; to protect the inside from the outside forces. She sighed wearily. It seemed her only way to rescue Aoi-chan was truly through Serio. Now, how could she convince him to release Aoi without question?

"Are you with me, Mikan Princess?"

Mikan shook her head to clear her clouded mind. She had thought of so many what-ifs that she had forgotten where she was. Looking nervously at Hii-sama, she apologised, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you, Hii-sama."

Hii-sama waved her hand dismissively. "Now, shall we continue?"

Determination filled her pale brown eyes as she nodded. "We shall."

She couldn't give up. Natsume's life was in her hands. She was pretty sure that Aoi-chan wouldn't like it if she lost her brother so soon.

-:-

Holidays within the dorm were relatively lively. But, just like the season, it came and gone. Yuu would be returning tomorrow. All of her free time was spent practicing her Insertion Alice with Hii-sama. Unfortunately, her attempts were not so fruitful, but she had gained a little bit of control over it. Well, it was much better than nothing at all. She closed her eyes as the soft breeze caressed her being while she was resting underneath the sakura tree.

Natsume was nowhere to be found. Presumably, he had gone to Central Town with Ruka and Youichi. The Spirit Manipulator always stuck with Natsume like glue. She was somewhat worried that the silver-haired boy would get influenced by Natsume's bad habits. Her wandering minds stopped abruptly when she felt _his_ presence not far from her. Cautiously, she scanned her surroundings, but she couldn't find him. After making sure no one saw her, she made her way to the entrance of the Northern Woods, where she felt his presence.

As luck would have it, Natsume saw her. Though he wanted to stop her, he was curious of what she was doing. Imagine his surprise when he saw her go to Persona, who was seemingly waiting for her in a small clearing. If anyone told him this, he wouldn't believe it. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to drag Mikan away from Persona. Since he couldn't let his presence known, he stayed several feet away from them. He wanted to hear what they were talking about, but it would be too close, and he would be caught. _That_ would be the last thing on his mind.

"Serio-nii-san," she saluted as he turned his crimson eyes to her.

"I'm thoroughly impressed that you can find me so easily…"

_As if anyone could miss your dark and threatening aura_, Mikan thought absentmindedly before inquiring, "What is it?"

Serio purposely stepped closer to her. A smirk was on his dark lips as he realised someone was watching them. That Kuro Neko was truly smitten. He wondered if the boy realised his mistake. The boy needed to learn about hiding his emotion, especially when he was upset. Leaning down to her ear, he murmured, "You do know that he's here, right?"

Mikan blinked. Of course, she had known that Natsume was following her, and right at this moment, hiding somewhere at her left side. Though she knew she couldn't do this, she had to. Time was not on her side, so she had to do what it took to save his sister. But of course, he wouldn't know that. Closing her eyes, she muttered to Serio, "Does it matter?"

"I guess not," he replied before standing straight before her.

"I thought as much." She nodded.

He chuckled quietly. Reaching forward, he trailed his nail against her right cheek. "Tell me, Mikan… what do you want?"

Ignoring the shiver that ran through her spine, she responded, "You know what I want, Serio-nii-san."

"Ah… I believe I do, but the question is… what will you do to get that?"

"…"

"How far would you go to achieve that?"

"Not so far away," she whispered.

"Is that so?"

"I prefer your cooperation, Serio-nii-san…"

"Oh?"

"I would want you to do it for someone else…"

"You mean for your boyfriend?"

She shook her head before looking into his crimson eyes. "For my father Izumi… the man who you killed unintentionally years ago…"

Everything happened so fast that she didn't see it coming. The next thing she felt was the sting of Serio's Death Alice at the back her neck. The pain was unbearable, but she hid it quite well while gritting her teeth. She could already feel her Nullification Alice started working in self-defence while her Stealing Alice tried extracting the deathly power in her. Serio's face was so close to hers as he inspected her face. The stinging of his Alice was gone as soon as he released her. As he looked away from her, she tried to regain her breath while clutching a small deathly stone in her right hand. If she didn't know about her Alices, she would have fainted just for this ordeal. Another thanks to Father Kazumi was in order.

"No wonder you look familiar…" he muttered quietly. "Why won't you blame me for his death?"

After pocketing the stone secretly, she hesitantly reached out to his hand. "It was not your fault, Rei-nii-san."

Serio closed his eyes shortly in reminisce. It had been so long since anyone called him by that name. This girl before him was truly his mentor's daughter. His mentor Izumi was someone he looked up to, someone he desired to call as his own father. All this year, he had been living in hell for killing the only man who accepted him for who he was. For years, he had been looking for someone who could accept him for his deathly power. Looking into her brown eyes, he believed that he had found that person. He knew without a doubt that she had forgiven and accepted him, just like her father, despite his terrible mistake. He wouldn't wonder anymore why she called him 'nii-san' the first time they met.

"I will have your cooperation, right?" she pleaded softly.

His gaze softened slightly as he muttered, "I believe so, Little Sister."

Mikan's heart leaped in joy. She did it! Rei had agreed to release Aoi-chan without question! Father Kazumi would be so proud of her. So happy, she couldn't help but throwing herself at him. Burying her face in his black attire, she chanted, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Serio chuckled as he could clearly feel the boy's ire increased, seeing as his girlfriend was hugging the guy he hated the most.

"Mikan." He patted her little head gently. "Don't you think it's time for you to call _him_ out from his hiding place?"

Mikan gasped in realisation as she broke the hug. After using her boyfriend's anger to locate him, she sweat dropped. Oh dear… Natsume was livid. Still, she called him, "Natsume…"

They were not disappointed as Natsume stepped out from his hiding place. Mikan cringed inwardly at his furious eyes. What should she say first? Telling him that she had a little chat with Rei? Nah, she doubted he would believe it. Then what? Telling him that she was trying to save his sister? Nay, it was a bad idea to be honest now.

Serio was the one who broke the uncomfortable silence between them. "Kuro Neko, you would better learn to control your emotion from now on. Should you endanger her further, you will deal with me."

After giving his new sister a soft pat on the head, he left the young lovebirds alone. He could sit back and watch, but if he was gone for too long, someone would get suspicious. Moreover, he needed to make a plan for releasing Aoi without making a big fuss. To be honest, he was getting tired of working under that heartless Principal Kuonji. Everyone in Dangerous Abilities probably viewed him as a heartless jerk, but that was his job; to be heartless. After all, he, too, was being watched, albeit loosely.

Mikan blushed slightly after hearing what Rei said to Natsume. On the bright side, things were looking up for her. Hopefully, it would continue like this.

Natsume didn't know what to feel after being told _that_ by his hated enemy. He was furious, confused, and then suspicious. Was this a dream? He was pretty sure he must be in one because the Persona he knew wouldn't be kind to anyone. Kind and Persona didn't come together. Besides, why the sudden change of heart? Or maybe he had hit his head somewhere? He shook his head to dispel the never ending question that kept flooding into his mind.

She bit back a giggle as she saw myriad of emotions cross her boyfriend's handsome face. He must be so confused. Walking towards him, she smiled. "Natsume…"

Their eyes met in seconds. Still smiling, she hugged him. "Everything is okay. I know that you're very confused at the moment, but I can assure you that everything will be alright."

Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath to clear his mind. He had so many questions, but he highly doubted that he would get answers anytime soon. What was Mikan's relationship with Persona? What were they talking about? So many things he wanted to tell and ask her, but he couldn't even form a coherent thought at the moment. Maybe… maybe it was best that he stopped questioning everything. Sometimes, things should be left just the way it was, so it wouldn't complicate everything that was already complicated.

After heaving a defeated sigh, he hugged her close. "If you say so, Mikan."

Mikan smiled against his chest. Today was a beautiful day! Pulling away from him, she grinned. "So? How's your day at Central Town?"

"My room," he stated shortly.

She took his hands and closed her eyes to teleport them to his room. As soon as they were in his room, Natsume went to his bed, where a small white box was waiting innocently there. As he sat on the bed, he took the small box and held it to her.

"For me?"

"Hn."

She took it before opening the box. Her eyes widened as she found a rainbow satin ribbon. It was so simple, but so beautiful. This ribbon was his first present since they started going out. Looking at her boyfriend, she smiled. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

"Hn."

Putting back the lid of the box, she pecked his lips. "Really, thank you."

The desire to touch one another was too much, so they both followed the pull. Soon, both were on his bed with him on top of her. Lips collided in a passionate kiss while their inexperienced hands started roaming one another. Both never stopped until the need to breathe was overwhelming. They pulled apart at the same time. He then pressed his forehead against hers while trying to catch their breath together.

"You will be the death of me," he commented quietly before laying his head on her stomach.

"I don't think so, Mister." She giggled as she played with his raven hair.

For now, all was well. Both were content with each other's presence, and sleep was not far to claim them in peaceful dreams. Neither was aware that this was calm before the storm. Soon, everything would start breaking apart.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	27. Chapter 27—Choice: Life or Death

**Original Posting Date:** 06 Apr 2012

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**Chapter 27**

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"Concentrate, Mikan!"

Mikan snapped out from her wandering mind and nervously glanced at her mother's stern face. Sighing, she let go of the Alice stone in her hand. "I'm sorry, Mother… I just…"

Yuka's eyes softened as she looked at her daughter. It had never crossed her mind before that they would meet again so soon. She had been trying so hard to take Mikan away from Alice Academy, but it seemed fate always had other plans. Struggling against something one had no control over was futile. Still, she had never regretted what she did for her daughter's safety. Caressing Mikan's cheek, she told her, "Take the day off. We shall continue this tomorrow."

When Mikan was about to protest, Yuka shook her head. "Don't force yourself, Mikan."

Shoulders slumping, Mikan nodded in defeat. "As you wish, Mother."

As soon as her mother left her room, she plopped down on her soft bed. Closing her eyes, she muttered, "I miss you, Natsume…"

It had been a very long six weeks since she last saw her friends. Six weeks without Natsume… How could a perfect day turn bad and then to worse in three days? The first day, Yuu returned from his one-week holiday with his family. Everything was okay until they realised the spectacled class representative couldn't use his wonderful Alice anymore. The school had tried to see what was wrong with him. Of course, there was nothing wrong with her friend since his Alice was stolen by someone, or a stranger Yuu met near the gate of the school.

The second day, she had questioned Father Kazumi about the incident even though she truly dreaded his answers, and what he said confirmed her fear. Her mother was close and had stolen Yuu's Alice. The latter was something she couldn't accept and forgive. Although her mother had no clue that Yuu was her friend, she shouldn't steal someone else's Alice. It was wrong.

Because of her mother's action, she felt really bad. Father Kazumi had assured her countless times that she shouldn't feel that way, shouldn't feel responsible for what her mother did. Her mother was an adult while she was only a child. Though she had an older mind than any student, it didn't change the fact that she was indeed still a child. The positive side of the incident was she would meet her mother soon.

That day was the following day. Her mother and Shiki, her mother's partner, were captured. But, both were somehow escaped from the bounds they were held in. Knowing this was her only chance to confront her mother, she went after them. Really, that was the stupidest thing she did in her life. She should have expected Hotaru would follow after her, regardless of the danger around them. Still, she didn't regret what she did. If she herself was put in the same situation, Hotaru would have done the same thing.

_"Wait! Wait!" she yelled with all her might while chasing her mother. "Wait for me, Mother!"_

_Having a one-track mind, she never realised that she could use her Teleportation Alice instead of chasing them by foot. How stupid of her. Nevertheless, her last call did gain her mother's attention as she and Shiki finally stopped running. While trying to catch her breath, they stared at each other._

_"Mikan…?" Disbelief was clear in her voice and face._

_"Yes, Mother. It's me, Mikan," she replied as calm as she could. This was the moment she had waited for. The urge to hug her mother was overwhelming, but she was a girl on a mission. She couldn't lose her focus just because she had finally met her mother._

_"But… how… why are—"_

_"Please return Yuu's Alice, Mother."_

_Yuka blinked before smiling. "You did this for your friend…"_

_Mikan had never gotten the chance to reply as Shiki shouted, "Get down!"_

_And get down she did. That was when the gun fires started. She was scared shitless as it was so much like the movie she watched, except that this wasn't a movie. People would actually die here. No kidding. Then, fear gripped her heart as she saw Hotaru appeared between them and the school guards. It was unavoidable. Everything moved in a slow motion as she saw Shiki's bullet go for his target, right behind Hotaru. Without thinking twice, she teleported herself to Hotaru, saving her from the hit. In seconds, she took them to a safer place._

_"That wasn't a very smart move, Hotaru!" she scolded before lowering her voice. "I have to go back. Please don't follow me…"_

_She never knew she was bleeding until she reached her mother. Her mother's panic cry was the last thing she heard before everything went black._

So, here she was. The moment she woke up, she was no longer in Alice Academy. Her mother had brought her along to save her life. For the first few days, she couldn't utter a word. It was too much for her young mind to accept everything. Furthermore, she had to choose between life and death. Run away was an option, too. However, she and her mother knew that running for the rest of their lives was not a good way of living. Going back to Alice Academy was not the best move either. Principal Kuonji would absolutely keep her close, and there was no doubt her life would be miserable.

It seemed and felt the world was against her. For goodness' sake, she was only 10 years old! Couldn't she enjoy her time like her friends back in the village? Doubtful. She shook her head inwardly. Her innocence was being stripped bit by bit ever since she learned about her parents whom she knew nothing about. Oh, how she wished to see Father Kazumi. She missed the comfort he would surely offer when she was upset and confused. Of course, her mother was here with her, but it was not the same.

In the end, she chose to become one of them, to be the enemy of Alice Academy.

For weeks, her mother had been training her with her Alices. She could control her Stealing Alice now, but Insertion Alice was still a problem for her. Her mother did say that Insertion Alice was trickier. Sometimes, compatibility between the user and the Alice stone was required. Since her mother had the same Alices, she made a perfect mentor. A mentor. That was what she saw in her mother. Hopefully, in time, it would change.

Reaching under her pillow, she pulled out a small red pouch. On the night she received the ribbon, she and Natsume exchanged Alice stones.

_"For you…" He dropped a small pouch in her hands._

_"I thought the…" She had never gotten the chance to continue as Natsume took the end of the ribbon in his hand. She had been using the ribbon since he gave it to her. During dinner, friends had commented about the ribbon and asked where she got it, but she only smiled and said it was a gift from a good friend. As much as she wanted to say it was from Natsume, who was sitting not far from her table, she couldn't. It would bring more questions, and that was what she wanted to avoid. Hotaru seemed to know it was from him, but she didn't say anything._

_"This ribbon is for what you bought for my sister the other day…"_

_She blinked, remembering her first experience of using the Privilege Card. It felt like a long time ago. "Okay…"_

_After he let go of the ribbon, he sat beside her. "I want yours, too."_

_Eyebrows knitted in confusion. "You want mine, too?"_

_He inclined his head. "Open it."_

_As soon as the warm Alice stone touched her palm, she gasped. The dark crimson stone was no doubt his. It was so big. She looked at him in surprise. "I…"_

_"Do not thank me," he stated emotionlessly._

_"Oh? What should I do then?" A teasing smile was on her lips._

_"You know what I want."_

_"So demanding."_

_"Hn."_

_She poked his chest. "What if I don't want to give you mine?"_

_Their eyes met in staring contest. "Are you saying that you're planning to give it to someone else?"_

_Smiling, she leaned closer to his face. "I didn't say that."_

_"Hn." He looked away from her._

_"You're so cute, Natsume…"_

_He glared at her before flicking her forehead._

_"Ouch!"_

_"Didn't I tell you not to call me that?"_

_While rubbing her brow, she grinned. "Yes, you did. But, you're just so—"_

_His lips was pressed __against __hers, stopping her from saying the somewhat forbidden word to him. Once they broke off, she opened her right palm. An Alice stone, almost as big as his, sat there. This was from her Nullification Alice, her very first discovered Alice when she joined Alice Academy. For now, she could only give Natsume this stone._

_"Here… I'm giving you mine…" She placed the stone in his hand._

_"No matter what happens, I won't give it back," he said while looking into her eyes._

_"Likewise." She grinned._

_They shared a soft kiss afterwards. Neither of them wanted to talk about her encounter with Serio. Their moment was too good to be filled with questions, questions, and more questions. Natsume had the right to ask the details, but in the end, she couldn't give him the answers he wanted to hear. If she told him about her plan to rescue his sister, then she would have to explain how she got the information. She was not stupid. Her relationship with Father Kazumi should stay between them and some of the trusted teachers. Although Natsume could be trusted, the impact would be too much to handle._

_With their current situation, if Natsume knew everything, she would have to ask him to stay clear from her. Knowing his character, he wouldn't listen, which would gain even more attention from Principal Kuonji. Things were already complicated enough because the heartless principal had finally noticed Natsume's change of demeano__u__r. There was no need to raise even more suspicions when it could be avoided. Thus, the moment of truth was not with them yet._

It might be an impossible wish, but she hoped to see Natsume again. Emotionally tired, she decided to sleep her worries away while holding his Alice stone.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	28. Chapter 28—Mission: Kana Ueda

**Original Posting Date:** 08 May 2012

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**Chapter 28**

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A silent cry escaped her lips as she sat up immediately, coming out of her dream world. Tears started welling in her eyes, but she held them back. Shutting her amethyst eyes tightly, she clutched her blanket. Since that faithful day, she always had the same dream, or the gruesome nightmare. Blood, _her_ blood was all she could see by the end of the dream. Honestly, sooner or later, she might go crazy for real if the dream didn't stop.

As if being helpless was not enough… A heavy sigh escaped her throat. Knowing she wouldn't be able to go to sleep anymore, she got up and donned her robe. She turned her desk lamp on and started working on one of her many inventions. It was insane to work like this, but if she did nothing, the pain in her heart would be too much to bear. Things around them were not the same anymore since Mikan went missing. Missing? No, the school no longer labelled her missing but wrote her off entirely.

Why wouldn't they? It had been six months… To tell the truth, it was not her best decision to follow after Mikan on that faithful day. She was trying to stop her reckless best friend from making anymore troubles. Oh, how wrong she was. Mikan was actually helping her out of trouble. How ironic. She wanted to save, not to be the one who needed saving. When Mikan took the hit for her, she wished and prayed that everything was a really bad dream. However, _her_ blood on her uniform told her otherwise. Teachers and friends panicked upon seeing her. Their horror was evident on their faces when she said it was not hers.

Until this very day, she still remembered Natsume's face when he heard her confession about the incident. Like everyone else, he denied the truth that Mikan was gone forever. Of course, she had the same faith. Mikan was a strong girl even though neither of them wanted to admit that. Despite the secrets Mikan kept from her, she knew her best friend was quite aware of what she was doing. That girl could be oblivious and dense, but she was not stupid.

At first, almost all of her classmates believed Mikan was alright and would come back to them someday. Yet, as day went by, their hope slowly dissipated. Just like the burning candle, the fire didn't last long. No one even dared to say her name anymore. It had become a forbidden name to utter. Still, she never stopped hoping to see Mikan again even though living in uncertainty was not the nicest thing in the world.

_Wherever you are, please be safe, Mikan…_

She worked on her invention until the alarm clock rang, telling her that it was time to get ready for school. As much as she hated to attend classes, she had to. Making inventions until she collapsed was not healthy either. She did it once, but afterwards, Ruka had blatantly scolded her, told her that she was a moron. Of course, what he said didn't go unpunished. Her blond-haired boyfriend had to willingly pose before her camera as punishment. It would serve him as a memory not to mess with her. Though, she understood that he was only worried about her.

Truthfully, they should be worried about Natsume. The fire caster had been acting colder and colder around everyone. Not that she could blame him. Mikan was his girl.

As soon as she finished dressing, she looked at the clock. Without anymore delay, she grabbed her things and went to the door to meet her boyfriend who was about to knock the door. The timing was never wrong.

"Good morning, Hotaru." His smile was evident on his handsome face.

After shutting the door, she immediately made her way to school. "Morning."

She glanced at his tired eyes and looked forward again. "How is he?"

Ruka sighed. "Better than yesterday, I guess."

"Hyuuga is too stubborn to let this hold him back." It was not words of comfort, but she knew Ruka got the meaning.

For the past few days, Natsume had been staying in the hospital. Only gods, and undoubtedly the school, knew what he had been doing to get himself there. They both knew Natsume had been using his Alice without rest. What for? They had clues, but nothing could be done to stop what he was doing. But, if they could be honest and didn't know any better, they might think he was trying to commit suicide. Well, considering Natsume's type of Alice, it was not far from the truth.

Could it be that Natsume was trying to distract himself? Perhaps…

Perhaps she and Natsume were not so different after all.

"I really hope…" Ruka trailed off.

The words might not be spoken, but both knew what he was talking about.

"Me, too…" she whispered quietly. "Me, too, Ruka…"

Looking ahead, she gazed at the morning sun. _Please come back soon, Mikan… for your Natsume, Ruka, and me…_

-:-

A hand shot under the bedcover and slapped the crying alarm clock instantly. The sparely decorated bedroom was silent once more. After a moment or two, the cover was pushed open to reveal a brunette in baby blue pajamas. After letting out a jaw-breaking yawn, the young girl opened her sleepy eyes.

"Good morning, Mikan," she muttered to herself before getting up. Slowly, she strode towards the glass window and pulled the blinds up. As the morning sunlight streamed in, she stood there, relishing the warm light for a little while. She could not hear anything from this high building, but she could see below that another busy day had started for others. With a sad smile, she started her morning routine by getting her outfit for the day: a black cotton skirt and a yellow spaghetti strap shirt. Today, she would go without her usual pony tail again as she had forgotten to stop by the store to get new ribbons. She had lost the last one during the last mission.

Mission…

Long ago, hearing that word alone would make her panic. But now, it was like receiving homework from school. Though, this type of homework was far more dangerous. Sometimes, her life would be put in danger if she was not careful. She tilted her head, thinking how long she had been a member of AAO. Ten months? No, it was more than that. She glanced at her calendar table, peering at today's date. After a moment, she closed her eyes.

One year.

Yes… it had been that long. Two months after her decision to join AAO, she stopped counting days. It would be no use to continue so. Hanging back in the past would not help her situation. Besides, she knew Father Kazumi would not want her bemoaning about the unfairness of life. She was not a child anymore. Well, she may appear to be a child, but her mind was not. Shaking her head mentally, she went to the bathroom for a quick shower.

While she was making her own breakfast – a toast with strawberry jam, she heard a knock from the door. Without looking up, she called out, "Come in."

As she was done with her toast, she met her mother's gaze. "Morning, Mother."

"Morning, Mikan," Yuka replied while approaching her daughter.

Mikan held the teapot up and asked her mother, who was in her casual brown jeans and a fitting blue shirt, "Tea?"

"Yes, please." Yuka nodded her head, sitting herself in the small dining room.

After serving another cup of tea, she sat across from her mother. Both remained silent even after Mikan finished her toast in record time.

"How are you feeling?" Yuka asked quietly, cupping the tea cup. Just a few nights ago, they both finished a mission. It wasn't Mikan's first mission, but it was the first time they worked together as a team. She held no doubt that Mikan would make a good team leader if she had more confidence in herself.

"Good," she replied after sipping her own tea. She knew this pattern quite well. Her mother never came this early in the morning unless…

"Mikan…" Yuka began hesitantly.

Mikan resisted the urge to sigh. She knew her mother always worried that she hadn't accepted her role in AAO.

"Another mission." It was a statement but came out like a question.

Yuka shook her head. "It's not just any mission."

Mikan tilted her head while looking at her mother. "So?"

Gazing at her daughter's brown eyes, she continued, "It's an undercover mission."

After they maintained an eye contact for a minute, Mikan looked away. This would be the first time she went to this type of mission.

"I see…" she commented lightly. "When?"

Yuka pushed a brown folder towards Mikan. "Not now, but soon."

Mikan could only nod and opened the folder to see a big title: Kana Ueda.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	29. Chapter 29—Mission: Principal Kuonji

**Original Posting Date:** 19 May 2012

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**Chapter 29**

-:-

Mikan narrowed her eyes thoughtfully when her silent mode cell phone vibrated. It was from an unknown caller with no number. Putting down the chemistry book she had been studying, she got up from her desk and stood before the glass window, overlooking the rose garden below.

"Kana Ueda speaking," she answered the phone nonchalantly.

_"Ohhh… you really got it right, eh?"_

She rolled her eyes inwardly when she recognised the voice. "What do you want, Reo?"

_"So cold… Can't I call a team mate?"_

"Hmm… Are you worried?"

_"Can't I?"_

"I didn't know you have a heart to worry about someone else."

_"Hey! Are you saying I'm heartless?"_

Mikan smiled as she changed the subject. "Really, what do you want?"

_A pause. "I just thought you might miss me."_

She couldn't hold back a smirk. "I missed you, too, Reo."

_"…"_

"I can see your red face from here~" she teased.

_"Shut up! To think that—"_

"Thank you."

_"…"_

Her voice grew solemn. "Do me a favour, will you?"

_"Yeah?"_

"My mother."

_"You do know that she's older than me, right?"_

"I know."

_"Then, what kind of favour was that? She can take—"_

"Please."

_A sigh. "Alright."_

"Thanks."

_"You owe me one."_

"Yeah, one kiss for everything?" she bargained lightly.

_"Will you stop teasing me?"_

She grinned. "Nope. I like you too much to stop now."

_"Your fiancé will have a broken heart if he heard this."_

A sad smile appeared on her lips.

_"… Forget about it. Anyway, how are you doing?"_

"Pretty."

_"That's good…"_

"Miss me?" Her voice was calm.

He was honest. _"… You know I do…"_

She hummed. "Well, it's been over seven months now."

_"Yeah. I'm bored without you here."_

"I'm not your toy."

_"You know that's not what I mean."_

"Of course…"

_"How's the old man?"_

"Don't worry; he takes good care of me."

_"As he should!"_

"What's that?"

After a short mumbling, he replied,_ "Nothing."_

"…"

_"Mikan…"_

"Hmm…"

_"You got them."_

She pondered for a while. "Anything else?"

_"Take care."_

"I will."

_"See you soon."_

"Yeah… See you soon."

Mikan shut her cell phone with a small smile. Before she was taken from Alice Academy, if anyone told her Reo was a kind-hearted guy, she would have taken them to a psychiatrist. Now, if _she _told anyone the same thing, someone would definitely question her mental state, but things, as well as people, changed. Despite their past encounter, Reo had come to care for her like a good brother. To be honest, she sometimes felt him view her differently. She often teased him about liking younger girls when that happened. Still, he never stopped caring or took things seriously between them since he knew how she felt about Natsume.

She often daydreamed about her handsome boyfriend, wondering if he would recognise her, or if he would accept her the way she was now. She was not Mikan Sakura. That young, a bit naïve girl was still a part of her, but she couldn't and wouldn't be that girl anymore. Her thoughts were stopped when she felt another presence close by. Turning, she came face-to-face with one of their maids Rin. "Yes?"

The hazel-eyed girl gave a small bow. "Young Mistress Kana, Master Ueda wishes to see you in his study."

"Thank you," she replied with a nod as Rin dismissed herself.

After smoothing her light yellow dress, she made her way out of the library. She reached her father's study shortly since their library was only upstairs. After knocking three times, she let herself in. Worry spread across her face as she saw their trusted physician Dr. Kinomoto checking her father.

"Are you not well, Father?" she inquired anxiously while approaching them.

Akio Ueda was a middle-aged man who looked a little bit older than Father Kazumi. Though, with Father Kazumi's Alices, she knew for sure that her uncle was a _lot_ older than her adopted father. Yes, adopted father. This was the first step of her mission: becoming Akio's adopted daughter. The black-haired man has dark eyes and a few inches shorter than Father Kazumi. Nothing extraordinary with his visage and looked quite an ordinary man, but as they say, looks can be deceiving. Akio was, in fact, a powerful man in business world. He owned a successful international trading company. Should anything happen to him, everything he had would be passed down to her, his only child.

When they first met, she had asked why he never bothered looking for a wife. The man could only laugh and said something about materialistic women. It was then she asked, wouldn't he be afraid that she would try to kill him herself and took everything he had. He only smiled and told her that even if he would willingly give everything to her, she wouldn't accept a cent of his wealth. How true he was. His wealth was not what she aimed for. The prestigious name of Ueda was. It was all to catch Alice Academy's attention faster. And _that_ was her next step: to become a student of Alice Academy again. Her mission was to eliminate Principal Kuonji without killing their Boss who was the clone of the said principal.

To avoid being recognised by anyone from her past, she had painstakingly changed her colour. Instead of brown hair and brown eyes, she chose to go with black hair and crimson eyes. Technology was a scary thing as she had changed her eye colour medically. It was a good thing for her though. She wouldn't have to worry about contact lenses anymore, or afraid being found out accidently. Since she already dyed and straightened her hair, she used no more ribbons. Of course, she still kept Rainbow, the only ribbon Natsume gave to her. One day, when everything was over, she would use it again.

As Dr. Kinomoto finished his examination, Akio waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing to be worried about, Kana."

Mikan looked at Dr. Kinomoto, who nodded in agreement. "Akio-sama is perfectly healthy, Kana-san."

"Good." She was really relieved to hear that.

"Take care, Akio-sama," said Dr. Kinomoto before nodding at Mikan. "Kana-san."

She returned his nod with a small one. "Thank you, Kinomoto-sensei."

Rin stood by the door, ready to send the doctor off.

Mikan gazed at her adopted father. "You wish to see me?"

Akio smiled gently at her. "Come here."

Obediently, she went to him, and he pulled her into his lap. He held her with care.

She looked up at him. "Do you not have something to tell me, Father?"

He hummed. "Is it wrong to spend time with my daughter?"

"No…" she mumbled.

"Soon, you will be taken away from me…"

She frowned. "The way you—"

"You are my daughter."

"…"

"Adopted or not, I see you as mine."

She looked down at her lap.

"If something happens to me, know that I will give everything to you."

"I have no interest—"

"You're the only one I can trust not to ruin everything I have built until now."

She sighed dejectedly. "You trust me too much, Father."

"You give too little credit to yourself, Kana."

"…"

He kissed her temple. "Be sure to come home when you have the chance."

She smiled up at him. "I will, and I know you will be waiting."

"Always will."

Although he was only a way to complete a mission, she really cared for this man as a child cared for their father. Hugging the man, she half-mindedly wondered what would happen to her once everything was over. Would she hold the name of Yukihira or Ueda? That would be a question to answer for another time.

-:-

"Stop this foolishness, Kuro Neko."

Natsume glared at Serio. "Mind your own business."

Serio shook his head. "Do you think _she_ will be happy to see you like this?"

Before Natsume could retort, a sharp pain shot through his chest. His body felt heavy as he collapsed to his knees and coughed violently. A few seconds later, his blood already stained his uniform. Eyes blurring, he tried to reach for his necklace with healing stone to ease the pain, but it was too much for him. The last thing he knew before everything went black was Serio caught him before he fell to the ground.

Once he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a familiar white room of the hospital. It didn't take a genius guess that he had passed out, again. Serio must have brought him here. So much had happened since Mikan left them, left him. Two months ago, Serio had somehow helped him strike a deal with Principal Kuonji. In order to release Aoi, he gave his word to forever work for the man. He knew it was foolish to make such a deal, but he needed to ensure Aoi's safety before he left this world for good.

He was not delusional to think he would have a long and happy life. A happy life would be possible if Mikan was still with him. Unfortunately, she was not. Every second of the past two years without her had passed in agony. What he felt since that faithful day until this very hour was anger. He was angry at himself for not protecting her better. She would be here with him if—quickly, he shut that thought away. No more what-if scenarios.

Sighing, he pulled himself up. Weak as he was now, he should rest, but staying in the hospital was not an option either. He really hated the hospital! Well, he could go back to his room, but he was not in the mood to sleep again. To pass the time, he might as well attend the boring classes. Hearing his teachers chattering away was the best lullaby. The teachers would not even bother him as long as he stayed quiet. After all, they knew what he had been doing for the Elementary School Principal. Decision made, he made his way out of the hospital.

Along the way to the school building, he saw Serina-sensei with a few women in black and… a young girl who dressed in white kimono with red flowers. The way she held herself and her cool demeanour told him that the girl came from a well known family. The women were no doubt her bodyguards since she was being surrounded like a fragile child. What made him _almost _stop and stare were her red ruby eyes. She did not even spare him a glance as she walked ahead. He shook his head mentally before continuing his way to the classroom.

Unknown to him, as he turned around the corner, she glanced at him with sad eyes.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	30. Chapter 30—Introduction: Kana Ueda

**Original Posting Date:** 28 May 2012

-:-

**Chapter 30**

-:-

"I hope everything is to your liking, Ueda-san." Serina-sensei smiled at the young heiress politely. Taking Ueda's only child might not be the best decision the school had ever made, but they needed the young girl's Alice. With the girl's Alice, Hyuuga-kun would be spared, or he could at least take a breath from what he was doing recently. She always disagreed with how things were done around the academy. More than ever, she resented the fact that what she and the other teachers could do was to give him breaks as replacing him would be near impossible. However, with Kana Ueda, everything would be solved. Hopefully.

_The tension in the room was so thick that it was difficult for her to breathe properly. This man before her demanded something she could not fulfil._

_"Special treatment, Ueda-sama?"_

_"Do I have to repeat myself, Serina-sensei?"_

_"N-no. I just wanted to be sure. Regretfully, I can't—"_

_"Do you think of me as a fool?"_

_Serina gulped silently. This man was too intimidating for her taste! "I mean no such disrespect, Ueda-sama."_

_The man hummed before leaning on his chair. "My daughter will have nothing but the best. Her happiness is my only concern. Is that too much to ask for?"_

_Thinking quickly, she wished she could yell out it was too much! Akio had demanded that her daughter would receive the best facility they had, which was something she could understand. What she couldn't agree was his daughter would be allowed to keep her cell phone. He wished not for letters but her voice to hear how she was faring. Obviously, the man did not trust them, which was a very wise decision._

_"You may have this special… talent, but I have manpower, Serina-sensei." Akio stated calmly._

_Serina knew a threat when she heard one. This was his way of saying that he would have the school destroyed if that would keep his daughter from joining them._

_Suddenly, Akio smiled. "I know you have no say in decision making, so I will give you time to consult with your higher ups, Serina-sensei."_

_Serina almost hugged and kissed the man for his understanding. She nodded in thanks. "I would appreciate that."_

_With that said, he left her in the living room to join his daughter in their library._

_After hearing the pros and cons from the teachers, Principal Kuonji finally agreed with the term__s__. It was obvious that the Elementary School Principal wasn't afraid that Kana would say something about their future unpleasant plans to her father. She could only hope. Akio was not someone to be trifled with. Moreover, his associates had known about Kana's existence as his successor. If something happened to the girl, she didn't want to imagine what would happen to them. Well, luckily for them, Kana was a strong girl in every sense of word. Aside from her excellent academic records, she was trained in different form__s__ of martial arts. She had to admit that the girl covered her dangerous side with her cool demeano__u__r of a proper heiress quite nicely. No one would expect that she had the ability to fight back when threatened._

"Everything is… acceptable, Serina-sensei," Kana replied calmly as she watched her bodyguards check the perimeter of her room. It was her old room to be precise. Why they had thought to give her this room, she had no idea. Once they were done, all four women bowed towards her before dismissing themselves. They were sent along with her to ensure the living environment was comfortable and fitting for one such as her. Honestly speaking, her father was going overboard about this, but she couldn't deny the attention. Akio really cared about her as his own daughter.

Serina sighed in relief. "I'm glad. Your classes will start tomorrow. I shall escort you to your classroom."

Usually, a student wouldn't receive this kind of special treatment, but the girl in front of her was really a special girl. In the years she had been teaching in Alice Academy, she had never encountered a child from a really well off family like Kana. Despite her young age, one look from her eyes, one couldn't help but be respectful towards her. Another thing she noted was unlike any other children from a wealthy family, Kana didn't hold the air of arrogance. She had no doubt that there would be a lot of guys that would be vying for the young heiress's attention.

Kana nodded. "I shall see you tomorrow, Serina-sensei."

Serina didn't feel offended by the way the girl dismissed her. "Have a good rest, Ueda-san."

-:-

As soon as Narumi entered the absolutely busy class, everyone stopped whatever they were doing. It was not unknown that the teacher would force them into obedience if they ignored him. No one wished to feel his Alice, so they kept their mouth shut without question.

"Good morning, Class. Today, we have a new student."

Anna and Nonoko exchanged happy smiles. A new classmate would do them good. The last new student they had was Mikan. Unfortunately, she had been missing from their lives for years, and no one knew if the cheerful girl would ever join them again. Some students were excited at meeting a new face, while there were some that didn't care at all, like a certain fire caster and his faithful followers.

It was only Hotaru who found it odd that Narumi would come down himself to introduce a new student. Even when she joined Alice Academy, she was introduced by another teacher, much like any other student. She hummed to herself inwardly. _Interesting_…

The blonde teacher nodded at Serina-sensei, who was standing outside. She returned the gesture and looked at black-haired girl.

"Enjoy your class, Ueda-san."

Kana inclined her head in reply before entering the classroom.

The already quiet class turned even quieter as they saw the newcomer stride in. The air of grace and elegance was in each of her step. No one knew their school uniform could look so extraordinary on the new girl with her silky black hair and piercing red crimson eyes.

Narumi cast a smile. "Class, meet your new classmate Kana Ueda-san."

Kana stood still as she was inspected and stared by her former classmates. Not that they knew about that little fact. As much as she wanted to smile at them, she kept her facial expression blank, including her mind. It would not do if Koko read her inner thoughts. Nullification was not her Alice here, so she couldn't really prevent him from reading her mind.

Narumi looked between the class and Kana when the silence stretched. For some unknown reasons, tension started clouding the room. Think of him as a coward, but he wished not to stay long in the presence of the heiress. During their very short introduction, Narumi found out that Kana Ueda was even more emotionless than Hotaru Imai. And each time he looked into her crimson eyes, he always felt so vulnerable, which was something he didn't like feeling. Looking at the still silent class, he nodded with an uneasy smile. "Be nice, everyone."

He turned to the heiress. "Enjoy the class, Ueda-san."

Before he could make a hasty retreat, Kana spoke for the first time, "Narumi-sensei."

Momentarily, Narumi was confused as to what she wanted as she didn't utter a word until it crossed his mind. "Ah! My apologies, Ueda-san! Your seat will be right at the back there, beside Natsume-kun."

Ignoring the gasps from his students, the blond-haired teacher rushed out of the classroom.

_Coward._ Kana rolled her eyes inwardly. Aware that Koko would try to read her mind, she had to keep her thoughts short and simple. She then walked towards her former seat, feeling rather nostalgic. Right after she reached the empty seat, she heard him speak.

"The seat is taken."

His voice was muffled by his manga. His hand pulled the book down to reveal his slightly weary but handsome face. "Sit elsewhere."

The class never knew how their crimson-eyed classmate felt about a certain brunette, until today. It was confirmed now. Natsume Hyuuga liked Mikan Sakura more than as a friend. When Mikan went missing, they had known that Natsume and Hotaru were the ones who took the blow harder than anyone. For Hotaru, it was obvious because the girls were best friend. As for Natsume, they could only guess that it was because she was his partner. But now, they knew better.

"Is that so…" Her voice was calm but cold at the same time. "And… where is the owner of this seat then…?"

"That's none of your business. Sit elsewhere, new girl!" exclaimed Sumire, surprising everyone that she would defend Mikan's place. Though, they shouldn't be so surprised since Mikan and Sumire did go through the hard time together when they were kidnapped by Reo long ago.

Kana hummed. "We're classmates, aren't we, Sumire Shouda-san?"

Everyone's breath hitched. _How did she know Sumire's name?_

Warning bells started ringing within the confine of Natsume's mind as he glared at her. "What do you know?"

Anyone who received his death glare would have flinched, but much to his dismay, the girl didn't even bat an eyelash.

"That is not a good way to ask a question… Natsume Hyuuga-san..."

Something in him snapped then, and before everyone's eyes, he did the unthinkable, which he would come to regret later when he realised how little control he had over his emotions. He roughly grabbed Kana's shirt as he pulled her closer and growled, "What. Do. You. Know?"

Everyone was shocked speechless. They had never seen Natsume this angry before. Still, they were anxious to know the answer, too. _Exactly who is she?_

Kana stayed indifferent and merely lifted her left hand. Right then, the class finally realised a few women in black were with them. Since when? They had no clue. To them, they just appeared out of nowhere. Kana put her hand on Natsume's wrist, the very same hand that was gripping her shirt.

"Please, Hyuuga-san. I'm not going anywhere, so you can release me."

Her voice was calm, but anyone would be offended at how she seemed to treat the entire exchange as a joke.

Kana could feel the heat emitting from his hand, but she remained perfectly still. She didn't even cringe when she saw the smoke.

_I'm sorry_, she apologised mentally and tightened her grip on his wrist.

Much to everyone's surprise and shock, Natsume immediately relinquished his hold on her with a hiss. Every set of eyes widened in horror as they saw the burn mark on Natsume's wrist. They then looked at the girl who was currently frowning at her ruined uniform. Thankfully for the girl, there was no hole in it.

"Now, you have ruined my uniform," she commented lightly as if she was talking about the weather.

"Young Mistress Kana."

Everyone turned to one of the women in black who was offering a black plastic bag.

Kana blinked. Knowing that was her new set of uniform, she gave a short nod. "Thank you."

She turned her ruby eyes to Natsume. Their almost identical orbs stared at each other. One pair was filled with barely suppressed shock while the other was emotionless. As much as she wanted to tell him that he needed to work on his emotions, she couldn't. Not now. "It was really a let-down, Hyuuga-san. I had thought that we could get along just fine since… we have the same Alice."

With that said, she left with the women in black, leaving the dumbfounded class behind as they realised they had two Fire Alice users in their class.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	31. Chapter 31—Déjà Vu: Forgiveness

**Original Posting Date:** 24 Jul 2012

-:-

**Chapter 31**

-:-

A pair of critical eyes scanned the file before his desk for a brief moment before looking up at the teacher who was still standing. "Can you help me make the arrangement, Jinno-sensei?"

"Yes, Principal Yukihira." The spectacled teacher nodded. Though he wished to ask the principal why he wanted to meet the new girl, he kept silent as he saw the longing expression on his face. Surely, the man missed his niece and daughter dearly. He really hoped that the man didn't try to replace the girl with this new student Kana Ueda.

Kazumi didn't elaborate his intention further as he didn't want anyone to know. At least, not now. This Kana Ueda was his little daughter, the girl he sorely missed for a very long two years. She may have thoroughly changed her appearance until there was no trace of Mikan Sakura in her, but he could see her Alices. Her daughter had grown stronger than the last time they were together. The glow of her Alices told him as much. With her aid, he knew they would be able to finish what they were planning years ago.

Two years ago, when Yuka had left with his poisoned little niece, he had wanted to chase after them and take her back. However, his rational mind had won, and he let her go. Staying with him wouldn't save Mikan's life. No one knew that he had mourned for the lost of his daughter for months. Every single day, he was worried over her safety. He knew that Yuka, as her mother, would take care of her and would be able to help her with her hidden Alices, but as a father figure for the girl, he couldn't stop worrying. He had heard no news at all about her for the past two years. He might have helped them escape from the academy, but that didn't mean he had a deal with the AAO. Mikan's life was his priority at that time, so he had sent them away with the hidden portal.

Now, he was going to see her again. Once she was back, he would never let her go. Not until he had to give her away, that is. He shook his head mentally to throw away any future thoughts. He was thinking too far ahead and was obviously not ready for that. For now, he was happy that he could have his little daughter back.

-:-

When she reached the restroom, which was practically empty, she changed her ruined shirt to a new one. After making sure she looked pristine once more, she stared at her own reflection and waited for the oncoming attack. As soon as she stepped out of the classroom, she knew that using her Alice this early might be a bad idea. Truth to be told, it was actually Natsume's Fire Alice. During her training with her mother, she had developed an ability to copy any Alice. She could copy as many Alices as she wished. Surprisingly, her body was receptive to all Alices as well, which was something her mother couldn't explain why.

However, there was a catch. She may be able to have all Alices she could find, but each time she used an Alice that was not her own, it would rapidly drain her lifespan, just like the fourth type. She had lost count of how many times she used another's Alice while working for AAO. No one, not even her mother, knew this side-effect, but on one faithful day, she was not careful, and Reo found out about it. When he had spotted a speck of dried blood under her chin, she knew she couldn't lie to him. This was why she asked Reo to take care of her mother. Both knew that there was a chance this undercover mission might be her last.

Knowing that the time was close, she fished her peach-coloured handkerchief out and held it over her mouth. As her mind counted down to zero, she closed her eyes tightly while her free hand held onto the sink. She ignored the painful attack while thinking about everything that made her happy, thinking about the good times. When the pain finally passed, she was panting with a blood-stained handkerchief in her trembling hand. After she calmed down, she washed the blood off – as best as she could – and made sure she left no trace of what had happened to her. She put the wet handkerchief inside the plastic bag and walked out of the restroom nonchalantly.

The women seemed to notice her slightly pale face. Before one of them could open their mouth, she waved her hand dismissively. "I'm fine."

Obviously, they were not convinced but didn't dare to say otherwise. Kana might be their employer's child, but they all cared about her. Kana had never taken advantage of her position to get whatever she wanted. In fact, she wasn't concern about anything but the well-being of the people around her, including them. This was another reason why they were so protective of her. When that Hyuuga boy grabbed their mistress, they were ready to act, but of course, their young mistress always had another idea.

"Please get me a first aid kit," she said while exiting the school building.

One of them immediately went to get what she asked for. Knowing their mistress, it was probably for the boy.

* * *

If he could turn back the time, he would. While sitting under the shade of the Sakura tree, questions flooded his mind as everything that had happened finally sink in. Why? Why did he do that? What made the new girl so special that he had no control over his emotions? Instead of asking her of what she knew, he should have kept quiet and observe. Despite of the deal he made with Principal Kuonji, he should have guessed that the man might have sent someone to keep an eye on him. Yet, that thought had never crossed his mind until the girl left. Deep in his heart, he knew the reason why he did what he did but was too afraid to admit it.

Kana reminded him of his Mikan.

Whenever he was with her, he didn't have to pretend to be strong. He only needed to be himself. Still, he couldn't help but berate himself for having such a thought. Kana was nothing like his Mikan. Unlike his girl, Kana came from a totally different world.

_"It's her... it's really her!"_

_Every head turned to their currently awed-looking Iinchou._

_"You know the new girl?" Sumire asked with a frown marring her face._

_Shock spread across Yuu's face. "You don't know her? Well, at first I also didn't recognise her. I thought that I had seen her somewhere but couldn't remember until those women called her 'Mistress,' and everything just clicked into my head. She's really—"_

_"Yuu Tobita." It was Hotaru._

_Yuu stopped babbling immediately and shifted nervously under her cold gaze. "W-well, I guess I can show you guys what I know..."_

_With that said, the spectacled boy summoned his Alice, and in less than a minute, everyone was pulled into what they guessed as Yuu's house. They were in the living room. No one commented about the nicely-decorated room as their eyes glued to a rather large plasma TV. They were watching a program that surprisingly featuring their new classmate. Through this program, they knew who and what she was. Kana Ueda was someone who didn't need to be in Alice Academy to have a privileged life. It was obvious that his father's fortune alone could last for generations, and the girl was the sole heir who would receive everything when the time comes. Any male who could catch the young heiress's attention would absolutely be a lucky guy._

_After they were back to reality, not a soul said a word. Half of them were thinking that it would be better that they didn't know about the girl's origin, that it would be best to remain ignorant. Unfortunately, they couldn't do that anymore. It was already too late when their curiosity got the better of them. Now, it became obvious of how the girl knew their names. It would not be strange either if the girl had all of their information, including their secrets. Everyone was pulled out from the scary thoughts when Ruka's worried voice filtered through their minds._

_"Natsume..."_

_All of them glanced at the burn mark, but it was only for a few seconds. If they stared too long, there was no shadow of a doubt that they would suffer something similar, which was what they would rather avoid at any cost._

_"Stay," Natsume replied before walking out of the classroom._

_The class could only exchange worried looks._

His closed eyes snapped open when he heard footsteps. This time, he hid his shock quite well when he saw the new girl. She was alone though. They maintained eye contact for a long time.

"I came here to apologise, Hyuuga-san." She looked up at the Sakura tree, averting her gaze. "Though, you should have let me go when I asked you to."

Without his permission, she settled beside him and grabbed his injured hand. It puzzled him that he didn't recoil from her touch. Then, out of nowhere, one of the women appeared and put a first aid kit beside the girl. Just like that, he let her treat his wound. A sense of déjà vu settled within him. This situation just reminded him of Mikan.

As soon as she was done, the kit was taken away, and she gazed at him. "I'm not lying when I said about getting along with you, Hyuuga-san."

Somehow, it irked him when she called him that. Just for her, he didn't like it. "Natsume."

She only offered a small smile in response. "Kana."

"Young Mistress Kana."

Both glanced at one of the women who surprisingly gestured her hand to Jinno-sensei, who was standing not far away from them.

"Jinno-sensei has offered to give you a tour around the school," the woman elaborated quietly.

_How convenient_, Kana mused. Now, she wouldn't have to find a way to meet Father Kazumi. She had a hunch that her uncle already knew who she was. Otherwise, Jinno-sensei wouldn't have approached her so early. To be honest, she wished she could just teleport to Father Kazumi's office and stay in his arms. She missed him so much. Standing up with the help of her guard, she gazed at Natsume once more. "Sakura-san is very fortunate to have a friend like you, Natsume."

She didn't give him time to be shocked as she went on, "Don't worry; I won't take her place."

With that said, she left a rather flabbergasted Natsume behind.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	32. Chapter 32—The Gift: Silver Necklace

**Original Posting Date:** 07 Dec 2012

-:-

**Chapter 32**

-:-

Reo quietly tapped the table while staring at the innocent phone.

"Just do it."

Whoever said that, he didn't care.

"Never knew you could be _this_ nervous."

Again, he ignored the voice.

A sigh.

Not a blink.

"Seriously? Just—"

"Shut it, Shidou!" he finally snapped with a glare.

Shidou shrugged. "Nothing's going to happen with that staring of yours. If you want to call her, just do it."

His eyes hardened in annoyance. "Mind your own business."

"Whatever," Shidou muttered and walked away.

Reo sighed. He didn't want to admit it, but he was being ridiculous. It was not as if it was new or something. The people around here already knew he cared about her a lot. Though, he never allowed himself to get too close. Her heart was already that boy's. _Lucky brat!_

Finally, after staring at the phone for almost an hour, he picked it up and dialled her number.

_"Kana Ueda speaking."_

It was just like her to answer the phone so nonchalantly. "Ohhh… you really got it right, eh?"

_"What do you want, Reo?"_

He smiled to himself. "So cold… Can't I call a teammate?"

_"Hmm… Are you worried?"_

Honestly? Yes. "Can't I?"

_"I didn't know you have a heart to worry about someone else."_

A vein popped on his forehead. "Hey! Are you saying I'm heartless?"

_"Really, what do you want?"_

"I just thought you might miss me."

_"I missed you, too, Reo."_

He flushed.

_"I can see your red face from here~"_

"Shut up! To think that—"

_"Thank you."_

He took a deep breath to calm down.

_"Do me a favour, will you?"_

"Yeah?"

_"My mother."_

He rolled his eyes. "You do know that she's older than me, right?"

_"I know."_

"Then, what kind of favour was that? She can take—"

_"Please."_

He heaved a sigh. "All right."

_"Thanks."_

"You owe me one."

_"Yeah, one kiss for everything?"_

His face grew hot. "Will you stop teasing me?"

_"Nope. I like you too much to stop now."_

His heart constricted. "Your fiancé will have a broken heart if he heard this."

_"..."_

"… Forget about it. Anyway, how are you doing?"

_"Pretty."_

"That's good…"

_"Miss me?" she asked calmly._

He didn't want to lie. "… You know I do…"

_She hummed through the phone. "Well, it's been over seven months now."_

"Yeah. I'm bored without you here."

_"I'm not your toy."_

He snorted. "You know that's not what I meant."

_"Of course…"_

"How's the old man?"

_"Don't worry; he takes good care of me."_

"As he should!"

_"What's that?"_

After mumbling to himself, he replied, "Nothing."

_"…"_

Shidou approached him, but he glared at him. The guy left him alone after offering a piece of paper that stated Alice Academy had noticed Mikan's power and would approach her soon. "Mikan…"

_"Hmm…"_

"You got them."

_A pause. "Anything else?"_

"Take care," he said _almost_ worriedly.

_"I will."_

"See you soon."

_"Yeah… See you soon."_

With that, they both hung up. He ruffled his own hair in frustration. Although he felt at ease for knowing she was fine, he was still worried. He didn't know how long he could keep her secret. With her current state, she shouldn't even go on a mission. He heard a small commotion and saw her mother enter their hideout. The woman seemed to feel his gaze and looked at him in askance. He didn't know how long he contemplated the idea of telling the woman about her daughter's secret inside his mind. The next time he was back to reality, the older woman was already before her with narrowed eyes. He sweat dropped while chuckling nervously.

"Reo."

"Yes?"

"You're hiding something." It was a statement rather than a question.

He felt his palm grow wet with cold sweat. "I'm not hiding anything." He slapped himself mentally for sounded so unsure. Damn it, he couldn't help it. Ever since he discovered his own feelings for her daughter, he became more aware of what the woman was capable of. If he could be honest with himself, he respected the woman. Moreover, he did hide something from her. _Should I lie?_

If possible, her brown eyes narrowed even more.

He sweat dropped some more. _Shit, shit, shit._

"It's about Mikan, isn't it?" Again, it was a statement.

He swallowed nervously.

"Now."

"I can't—"

"Now, Reo."

By now, everyone was watching them. Yuka, who also felt their comrades' curious eyes, turned to them. "Leave us."

As much as they wanted to know what happened, they complied with her request. After all, she was the most powerful Alice user in their organisation. No one, but the boss, dared to question her. And so, they left them alone while throwing pity looks at Reo, who looked ready to bolt from his chair if given a chance.

As soon as the hideout was clear, brown eyes locked on his. "Now. Don't leave anything behind." Her tone held a promise of pain should he refuse.

_I'm so sorry, Mikan_, he apologised mentally before starting his story and observation regarding Mikan's current state.

Yuka needed to know that her only daughter was dying.

-:-

White, puffy snow covered the entire places. Due to her temporary Fire Alice, she didn't feel the bite of winter that much. Five weeks had passed by since she rejoined Alice Academy as Kana Ueda. For some reason, her classmates kept their distance, so she was mostly alone. Hotaru would sometimes glance at her, but she never said anything. Though she felt sad, she didn't think over it too long. After all, for the past two years, she had no friends that were close to her age, and her days were filled with training, training and more training. In the end, she, too, rarely spoke to anyone, including the teachers.

As for Natsume, he was still in his usual stoic self, but he didn't feel threaten or uncomfortable around her. What their classmates didn't know was she and Natsume were on first name basis since their last conversation at his favourite sakura tree. Whenever they met without the others around, she would greet him with a small smile. While he didn't return it by words, he did acknowledge her greetings with a nod here and there. At least, the atmosphere surrounding them was not so tense anymore, which she was glad for. She also, secretly, heard that Natsume had changed for the better. Before, he seemed to be colder and colder as time went by, but since her arrival, the ice around him seemed to be melting.

Looking around the Central Town, she saw her classmates browsing and chatting about birthday gifts. She smiled to herself wistfully. Of course, she knew today was Natsume's birthday. As much as she wanted to join their surprise party, she couldn't. It would be too awkward, and she didn't want to ruin the mood just for being there with them. She knew that they were uncomfortable with her. Their forced and nervous smiles were enough to tell her that. Oh, well. She may be alone, but Father Kazumi would always be there for her. Their meeting on that day went rather well.

_Looking at the shelves of books made her smile. Even after a long two years, nothing had changed. Their first meeting was also in this library. It brought a sense of déjà vu. She had been feeling like that since she was coming back here. Footsteps heard from behind caused her to turn around and face her uncle. From the corner of her eyes, he could see Jinno-sensei stood not far in the corner. From his position, he would still be able to hear whatever they were going to say._

_"Good afternoon, Principal Yukihira."_

_If both looked at Jinno-sensei, they would have seen how the man was shocked that she knew who this man before her was._

_For a brief moment, Kazumi gazed at his niece with such longing that he held no doubt that she saw it. "I'd kindly ask you to revise that statement."_

_She couldn't keep the smile that bloomed on her lips. "I missed you so much, Father."_

_With that said, she let herself run into his open arms. His comforting scent immediately calmed her mind that her eyes grew misty._

_When they broke apart, Kazumi held her up until they were in the same eye level. Outwardly, his niece had indeed changed. If it was not for his ability to see her Alices, he would have been fooled, thinking she was a different person. Almost brokenly, he whispered, "Finally."_

_She let out a small, tearful laugh before wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him close and shut her eyes. Right at this moment, she was Mikan Sakura. Kana Ueda had faded into the recess of her mind, for now. Though she kept telling herself that she was not the same girl, to see her uncle once more made __her __throw away all pretences. Father Kazumi would not want her to be anyone but herself. Right now, she didn't have to pretend that she was a strong girl. This realisation finally broke the dam within her. She didn't remember much what happened afterwards, but as she cried in her uncle's protective embrace, she felt the weight on her shoulders lifted._

After all was said and done, she was back to her usual schedule of meeting him, which was more frequent than in the past as she didn't have friends to watch out for. Exactly a month after she entered Alice Academy, her _guardians_ were sent back to Ueda Manor. It was not because she didn't like them, but she had a mission to complete. If her guardians were around, she highly doubted Principal Kuonji would approach her. Her adoptive father was, of course, not pleased with what she had done, but he trusted her judgment to keep herself safe, and every night she assured him so.

She came into a stop before a familiar shop and entered. After browsing through the store, she finally found what she wanted to give Natsume for his birthday. It was a silver necklace with an angel wings bottomless locket. The size was big enough to let a big Alice stone in. It had a small charm as well. The charm would be activated as soon as the necklace was put on the user. The purpose of the charm was to not let anyone touch the locket without permission, which would indefinitely keep whatever inside the locket safe. Of course, the necklace could be passed down to another as long as it was the owner who gave it away. She rather liked the necklace herself, but there was only one left.

Nevertheless, it would be a perfect gift for Natsume. Hopefully, he would like it. Taking the necklace with her, she went to the cashier. Before the owner, the very same one when she brought the special hair clip for Aoi, could say anything, she offered him the Privilege Card.

The middle-aged man happily scanned the item and the card. Upon reading the name of the owner, however, he looked back at his customer with wide eyes. Privilege Card holders were not that many to begin with, and those who bought things from his store could be counted by fingers. Although it had been years ago since he last saw _this_ customer, he still remembered her. There was a small to none possibility that the card was lost or stolen.

After offering the required amount of money, she brought a finger over her lips, silently asking him to keep quiet. Then, she added, "And please wrap it up for me as well, Sir."

Still in shock, the owner could do nothing but nod and wrapped the black box, where the necklace was, with a golden brown paper. When all was done, he put the wrapped box in a red-green shopping bag and gave it to the raven-haired girl.

"Thank you for coming, Mikan Yukihira-sama," he said solemnly with a low bow.

Just like two years ago, she replied with a nod, "You're welcome. I'll recommend my friends to come here later."

Too bad for the owner, she had no friends now. Still, if she did get the chance, she would recommend her friends to come here.

Unknown to her, Natsume, who was standing not far from the shop she just left, saw her. Curiosity burn on his mind, and without further ado, he went inside the shop. He automatically looked for one specific item that he had wanted to have for a long time. Much to his dismay and bewilderment, the item was gone.

The owner, who knew the raven-haired boy that visited his store often, smiled. "If you're looking for the locket, the little lady who left just now bought it."

He glared at the owner, who immediately flinched and walked away from him. As much as he wanted to threaten the owner so that he could find out more about Kana, he couldn't do that. The owner had told him the fate of the necklace without him asking, and that was enough for him. With an inaudible sigh, he left the store. Feeling rather bored, he decided to go back to the dorm.

"Natsume?"

He glanced at Ruka. "I'm going back."

The trip to the dorm was spent in silence since he was by himself. He then, as soon as he opened his room, received quite a shock when his classmates chorused, "Happy Birthday!"

"Gee, Natsume-kun... because you suddenly said you were going back, we came back first, but there wasn't enough time to prepare the party," Sumire said, still panting from the rush.

He could only look on and endure their presences until all gifts were handed. The only things he liked were Youichi's drawings and the glass hour from Ruka. The rest was just... useless for him, to put it bluntly. But of course, he was thankful for what they did for him. Strangely, he didn't miss Mikan's presence as much as he did during his two previous birthdays. Could it be that he was letting her, or the memories of her, go? Since he didn't want to think about it anymore, he shook his head mentally and watched his friends finally leave him alone. Just when he was about to take a rest, he heard a knock on the door. Grumbling, he opened it with an annoy look. What greeted his eyes, however, rendered him momentarily speechless.

"Natsume," the crimson-eyed girl greeted with a small nod.

Once he got over the surprise, he nodded back.

"I just want to give you this," she said, offering the same shopping bag he saw her carry hours ago.

His heart picked up a pace as he accepted the bag with a soft, "Thank you."

"Happy Birthday," she congratulated with a small smile.

He arched a brow in reply.

"Our classmates were not exactly quiet when they were talking or partying." There was a hint of amusement in her voice. "Well, I hope you like the gift. See you around, Natsume."

Someone must have spiked his drink earlier because he, out of the blue, felt the desire to have her around for a bit longer. When she was about to go back to her room, which was just next to his, he caught her wrist.

Her eyes widened in surprise. She looked at his hand and his face. "Natsume?"

Her calling his name seemed to break whatever spell he was in, and he let go of her hand as if it burn him.

Just like that, they both became awkward, not knowing how to proceed.

The silence was killing them both, and she decided to break them, much to Natsume's relief. "Do you want me to come in?"

He answered by opening the door wider and went back inside.

She took a deep, silent breath before entering his room. Gently, she closed the door and looked around. Aside from the opened gifts and decorations, Natsume's room was pretty much the same as two years ago. It brought a small smile to her lips. To be honest, she was torn between grateful that he was willing to open himself up and miffed that he had invited _Kana_ into his room, alone no less.

"Help yourself."

"Okay..." She sat herself down on the couch and gazed at him. "You can open the gift. I won't mind."

With little hesitation, he gently tore the paper to reveal the black box. He silently held his breath and let it out once he saw what was inside. There, before his eyes, was the very locket he had wanted. To think that she had bought it for him made him feel things he shouldn't feel. At least, not from someone other than Mikan. He looked into her crimson eyes.

"Do you like it?" she asked quietly.

He nodded and muttered, "Yes. Thank you."

She graced him a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that."

Silence filled the room afterwards.

They both kept their eyes on everywhere but each other that it made them look so silly and ridiculous.

Finally, she had enough of the uncomfortable silence and stood. "I think I should go back now."

Without waiting for his answer, she walked towards the door, intending to leave quickly.

However, neither expected what happened next.

She was trying to leave, but he didn't want her to, not without giving her a proper thank you. The thought of giving her a kiss on the cheek crossed his mind, and he really thought someone had spiked his drink. Despite the silly thought, he didn't dislike the idea. And so, when she opened the door, he grabbed her wrist, again, and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Too bad, he didn't count on her turning. Instead of meeting her cheek, his lips met hers.

Eyes widened in shock, they both sprung apart instantly. After a short staring contest, she left his room in a rush, blushing.

That night, both of them couldn't get a good night's sleep without thinking about the kiss.

-:-

**A/N:** Please kindly review. :)


	33. Chapter 33—The Trouble: Attack

**Original Posting Date:** 12 Aug 2013

-:-

**Chapter 33**

-:-

She sighed for the umpteenth time. After the accidental kiss, she had lost Kana and became Mikan for a moment. She would have to be careful that it didn't happen again. Not that she didn't like the kiss, of course. She only wanted to avoid any complications that would rise if her real identity was revealed too soon. After she finished dressing for the Christmas Ball, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly before leaving the room.

The grand hall was decorated so beautifully. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Since she had no one to talk to, she lazily watched her classmates, including Natsume. Her entire being tensed when she saw Principal Kuonji with Rei-nii-san. From what she had learned from Father Kazumi, Natsume had agreed to work for Principal Kuonji forever to ensure Aoi's freedom. To be honest, she had felt bad about it because the task to free Aoi was hers, not Natsume's. Still, she didn't dwell on it for long as she was here now, and this time, she would make sure that she completed her mission without a hitch. For minutes, she waited and waited, but it seemed Principal Kuonji wished not to approach her yet. Oh well, she had time. Hopefully.

When everyone started dancing, she grew bored and decided to go to a huge tree beside the gathering hall. As she looked up at the sparkling-stars-filled sky, she blinked in surprise. Natsume, who was perching on the branch, seemed to feel her gaze and looked down. For a while, they stared at each other. It was he who broke the gaze as he scooted away from his position, making space for her. She shrugged lightly before climbing up and ignored the surprised look on his face at how fast she did it. Although her heart seemed to pound too fast for her taste within her ribcage, she mentally cheered at how she did not blush. It only meant that Kana Ueda was still with her. Slowly relaxing, she looked up at the smiling stars. She didn't know how long both stayed side-by-side without saying anything.

"Kana."

Somewhat startled, she turned her gaze to him. "Yes?"

"Yesterday..." he trailed off.

She tried real hard to keep her expression bland. "What about it?"

He looked away, not knowing how to explain his action. Last night, he was truly aiming for her cheek, not her lips. Though, he wouldn't complain about it. In fact, he wouldn't mind having another taste of her lips. His eyes widened upon the thought and quickly shook his head. Honestly, he shouldn't have this kind of thoughts for Kana. Mikan wasn't around, but he still felt that he betrayed or cheated on her in a way.

"Natsume?"

Gazing back at her, he _almost_ groaned aloud. Despite the worried expression on her face, she looked, dared he say, so pretty. Unconsciously, he lowered his gaze to her plump lips. It looked so tempting that he didn't realise he was leaning closer.

The moment she saw his eyes drop to her lips, she froze. _What was he doing?_ No matter how many time she mentally screamed at herself to move away when he leaned closer, her body would not cooperate. Any contradicting thoughts left her mind when their lips met. A few seconds later, she finally closed her eyes and kissed him back. With a brush of his tongue on her lips, she opened up and let him make love to her mouth.

She almost lost herself until she felt the familiar tightness in her chest. Eyes opened wide, she abruptly broke the kiss and pushed him away. After mumbling a hasty sorry, she quickly jumped down from the tree. She had to get away from here, from him before the attack started.

He was shocked and confused at the same time. The way she ended the kiss was too sudden. He had thought that she wanted it as much as he when she didn't move away. She even kissed him back for crying out loud. As she left, he finally noticed how pale her face was. Without a second thought, he followed her, and for some unknown reason to him, she seemed unaware of his presence. When they were far from the crowd, she stopped beside another tree, panting. When he saw her falling forward, he sprint ahead and caught her shoulders from behind before her face could meet the ground.

Upon seeing him, her crimson eyes were filled with surprise, but it was soon replaced by pain.

Before he could utter a word, she held a hand over her mouth. His entire being just froze up while his blood ran cold as soon as she started coughing. The blood drained from his face when he saw the blood that escaped her fingers. He knew too well of what was happening to her. It seemed both of them had the same type of Alice. When the attack finally eased, he hugged her still trembling body close, silently wishing he could take away the pain. Ever since she joined his class, she had awakened feelings he had denied for years. This was crazy. Everything didn't seem to make any sense at all, but he couldn't deny that he felt something for Kana. Seeing her like this, he didn't think he could leave her alone now.

She closed her eyes and sighed, tired beyond words. "I'm sorry," she murmured against his chest.

He tightened his hold and scooped her body up, intending to bring her back to her room. "What for?"

"You shouldn't see me like this," she breathed out.

"Hn."

Once the dormitories came within his sight, he took her into his room instead. He figured out that he would be worried if he left her alone. When she felt better, he would let her go back to her room, which was only next door. With little difficulties, he fished his key out from his pocket and opened the door. He kicked the door close and immediately put her down on his bed. Without making sure she was comfortable, he went to the bathroom and wet a fresh towel before returning to her.

"Thank you." She accepted the towel with a weak smile. Lately, the attack had left her drained and knew she would turn weaker and weaker until she could no longer move. However, before that happened, she was determined to finish her mission. As soon as she finished cleaning the blood off, he exchanged the towel with a glass of water. With a grateful nod, she drank it all before putting the empty glass on the bedside table before leaning down on the mounting pillows behind her with a sigh.

He sat down at the edge of the bed beside her. "Better?"

She nodded. "Yes. Once again, thank you."

After a short pause, she gazed at him. "It's not really my concern, but..." She took his silence to continue, "Sakura-san..."

Somehow, he already knew she was going to ask about Mikan. To tell the truth, ever since she left, no one brought her up. Though it was a good thing, it was bad as well. Denied as he might, he would have to let go of his pent-up emotions inside him regarding Mikan. Perhaps, this was the best time to let go. No matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to find Mikan. It was just impossible when he already tied himself to this school.

An inaudibly sigh escaped his lips as he stared up at the ceiling of his room for a while before looking back at her. "Mikan was my girlfriend." A short pause. "Two years ago, she left in a way no one had predicted, and since then, I don't know what happened to her." He let out a wan smile. "I mean no offence, but you remind me of her. A lot. You look nothing like her, of course, but somehow, I have the same feelings for both of you." He chuckled sadly. "I might be considered as a cheating—"

Without removing her finger from his lips, she spoke, "If I were Sakura-san, I would want you to move on, Natsume."

Grabbing the hand that hindered him from speaking, he quietly asked, "Do you really think so?"

"I know so," she affirmed. It was obvious he still loved her old self, but that part of her would no longer return, at least, not until this fight was over. Even then, she didn't think she would be able to become the same old Mikan. Too many things had happened for the past two years, and she had grown a lot from that time. And so, she truly meant it when she said that she would want him to move on. It would be selfish of her to keep him from happiness.

"If you say so," he muttered, eyes drooping as he gazed at her.

She smiled and took the initiative to kiss him first. This time, both did not hold back. His arms wrapped around her waist as he deepened the kiss. At the back of his mind, he couldn't help but think that the kiss they currently shared almost tasted the same as the one he shared with Mikan. He pulled away from her lips to look into her dazed crimson eyes and smiled. He pecked her wet lips one last time before saying, "You should rest."

She closed her eyes. It felt so good to be in his arms once more. Remembering what he said, she nodded. "Lie down with me."

He could do nothing but complied with her request.

It was a few hours later, close to dawn, that he woke up to find himself alone. He honestly didn't feel her move, but then, this was actually the most decent sleep he had ever gotten ever since Mikan's disappearance. Holding Kana seemed to put the missing piece of himself back together. He shook his head inwardly. He would no longer mull over about Mikan. If he knew her at all, she would want him to be happy, just like what Kana said, even if it was with someone else. Something white on his bedside table caught his eyes. He smiled as he saw Kana's short note, telling him that she was back at her room, and that, she would see him in a few hours.

Looking at the digital clock, he quickly got up to get ready for school as he wished to pick her up. It was dangerous for him to outwardly admit that something was going on between him and Kana, but, both, judging from their current health, had little time for themselves to worry about other people's thoughts. Besides, he didn't think he had anything to lose if he chose to express himself one last time.

The phone was pressed on her left ear while she opened her dresser cabinet. Inside, there was a square, flower-crafted, wooden box. The size was like that of a notebook. The box was protected with a spell that could only be opened by specific people. For this box, the one who could open it were her adopted father and herself. "I'm fine at the moment, Father," she said, trying her best to alleviate his worry over her health. "So, how is she?"

_"She's good and healthy. The doctors are quite confident she will no longer have a problem in the future."_

"I'm glad to hear that." She smiled and opened the box. Caressing the empty bottle that was inside, she asked, "I hope to see her myself."

_A sigh. "You can always come back anytime and see her."_

"Yeah, I know." Hearing the knock on her door, she closed the box and shut the cabinet close before walking towards the door. "Father, I have to go now."

_"You should call more often."_

As expected, she saw Natsume before the door. She inclined her head in greeting and went back inside.

"I wish the same thing," she replied her adoptive father.

_"Oh?"_

"Just to make sure my stubborn father doesn't overwork himself."

_"Ah, that is my line, my beautiful daughter."_

She chuckled. "I shall call you again tomorrow, Father."

_"Very well. Take care of yourself, Kana."_

"Always, and you, too, Father."

With that, both ended the call. She gave Natsume, who already made himself comfortable on her cream-coloured coach, a small smile. "Hey."

"Hn."

"Ready to go?"

Instead of answering, he told her, "Come here."

Putting the cell phone away, she approached him only to be grabbed by the wrist and being pulled down to his lap.

"I want something else first."

She giggled before kissing him on the lips. It was intended to be a short kiss, but he didn't feel the same as he prolonged the kiss until both were thoroughly breathless when they pulled away. She slapped his left arm playfully. "Pervert."

"I'm not, little girl."

Both froze for, unknown to him, the same reason. It reminded them of their time together before she, as Mikan, left the academy.

After a tense silence, he sighed, closing his eyes. "I'm sorry." The names just slipped past his lips without control. Really, he felt so stupid at the moment.

Looking at his tormented and guilty expression, her heart constricted. She lovingly patted his cheek, which made him open his eyes. "It's okay, Natsume. I understand."

He closed his eyes once more before hugging her straddling form tightly. Although he had decided to move on, it seemed that it would take a while before he could see Kana as herself, not Mikan. Upon releasing her, they both silently agreed to drop the subject altogether and left for school. Today, just like the year before, was probably a cleaning day for them all. He never let her hand go as both entered to the school building. He was not known as an affectionate person, so he was not surprised to see the shocked faces of everyone that saw them together.

Mikan inwardly sweat dropped when she felt the heated gaze of her classmates. From what she could feel, none of them were happy, and she had to hold herself back from sighing. She was quite grateful when Narumi-sensei, who finally entered their classroom, started assigning cleaning group. Much to her dismay, she, Natsume and Hotaru ended up together. She had nothing against Hotaru, honest, but her once good best friend seemed to display her blatant dislike towards her ever since she and Natsume stepped into their classroom. Thus, not long after they left to do their given task, a heavy atmosphere settled around them.

"Have you finally decided to replace Mikan with _her_, Hyuuga?" Disgust was apparent in Hotaru's voice.

Both she and Natsume went rigid upon hearing such spiteful comment.

"Mind your own business, Imai," Natsume bit back coldly.

While Hotaru's cold gaze was on her, she was still speaking to him. "No matter what you do, _we_ will not accept her."

There was a resounding crack within her heart. She knew that Hotaru said those hurtful things because she didn't know she was Mikan, but it still hurt nonetheless. Truly, she couldn't blame Hotaru to be upset. If she was put in Hotaru's shoes, and Ruka was with some new girl all of a sudden, she might react the same way.

"For your information, I do not need your or anyone's acceptance for what I do," he countered with a death glare.

The glaring contest went on until the light suddenly went out. It was not long after that they heard a loud and powerful explosion that shook the building. A few minutes later, another explosion followed. Students started screaming and running in panic as small debris started raining down around them. She ignored everything and ran to a place that she knew where the explosion was. For some reason, this attack sent a foreboding feeling to the pit of her stomach. Once she reached what was left of the still burning administration building of the elementary school, she saw her comrades from AAO fighting with, what she guessed as, Principal Kuonji's followers.

-:-

**A/N:** Hello there! I'm sooo sorry for the long wait. Things have been hectic ever since I decided to move my works from FF to my blog. Now, I only have a few of my stories here. Though, at the moment, not all of them are readable because I'm still revising them with my beta. To be honest, it's kind of difficult to concentrate when I'm working on so many stories for different fandom at once. I can only ask you guys to be patient with me. **Important!** This story is going to end on chapter 35, so make sure you are ready to say goodbye to this long series.  
Before you leave, please kindly **review**. :)


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